There are strong indications that the alleged support for extremists by President Muhammadu Buhari may have led to travel ban on Nigerians seeking to immigrate to the United States.
On Friday 31st January, 2020, United States restricted Nigerians, Eritrea, Sudan and Tanzania from applying for Immigrant Visa. Acting Homeland Security Secretary, Chad Wolf, clarified that the targeted visas are distinct from non-immigrant visas issued to visitors.
According to multiple diplomatic sources, President Buhari’s policy on fighting terrorism is not convincing enough to portray the administration as one with real interest in ending the insurgency in Nigeria.
For instance, a source within diplomatic circle told DODONDAWA.COM on Sunday that “US government had discussions with the Nigerian government for two years over passport control, issuance and security around immigration. Six months ago, it told our diplomats in US that it was going to ban Nigeria but nothing was done. Unlike Belarus that immediately started working on addressing the issue raised by the US, Nigeria did nothing.”
Another source also pointed to the level of insecurity in Nigeria which has continued to degenerate over the years with no desire to tackle it.
“There are reports within diplomatic circle that terrorists enter Nigeria and are being issued the Nigerian passports which they are using to fly to Middle East and engage in terrorism. What is begging for an answer is the government’s free visa on arrival policy. At a point the government closes its border against legal trade with other western African countries, it opens its border for extremists to get visa on arrival, what an irony?” the source said.
It is noteworthy to state that the National Assembly recently joined other Nigerians calling for the sack of all the service chiefs, due to their inability to address the spate of insecurity in the country, but the President has kept mum maybe because they are his trusted allies.
President Buhari presently is reported to be the Grand Patron of Miyetti Allah. But as a patron of the group, in October 13, 2010, he led a protest to the office of former Oyo State Governor, Late Lam Adesina, against alleged maltreatment of ‘his’ people. President Buhari flaunted his support for the group when, as a national leader of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), criticized the declaration of state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States and the subsequent military offensive against the Boko Haram Islamic sect in 2013.
Buhari, who featured on the “Guest of the Week,” a Hausa programme of the Kaduna-based Liberty Radio, in June 3, 2013, said the federal government’s action was a gross injustice against the north.
According to him, “unlike the special treatment the federal government gave to the Niger Delta militants, the Boko Haram members were being killed and their houses demolished.”
Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria sometimes called MACBAN is a loose partisan advocacy group centered on promoting the welfare of Fulani pastoralists in Nigeria. A major goal of MACBAN is to be the umbrella organization of Fulani herdsmen within the country. The Chairman, Board of Trustees of Miyetti Allah is the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, according to Wikipedia, and it receives funding from the board and other donors.
Another issue for concern is the ‘Operation safe Corridor’ being implemented by the government.
Operation Safe Corridor is a military operation whereby Boko Haram fighters that are captured or willingly surrender are rehabilitated through training, de-radicalization and released to the community. This policy is seen, within the diplomatic circle, as a ploy to integrate them into the military to further propagate the Islamisation agenda of the North.
However, the Federal Government said it has established a committee that will work with the Interpol and the US government to address the issue and the ban may be lifted ‘soon’.
“The committee will work with the US government, INTERPOL and other stakeholders to ensure all updates are properly implemented,” the statement by the media aide to the President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr Femi Adesina, said.
