Spokesman speaks on report United States denied Tinubu visa

Alhaji Tunde Rahman, the spokesman of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the 2023 elections, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has denied that his principal was denied a visa of the United States of America.

Alhaji Rahman spoke in reaction to a story by nigerianconcord.com.ng that the US did not renew the visa of Tinubu.

He said: “Oga, it’s an original fake news.

“HE Asíwájú was not and has never been denied US visa.

“He has a two-year valid visa that was renewed last November.

“Two years is the maximum any Nigerian can get.

“It’s a ridiculous post by a non-existent news online.

“You know one can’t really be taking issues with a non-existent platform.

“The fake story was attributed to Nigerian Concord newspaper.

“The Concord as you know closed shop many years ago!”

“We don’t have time for a rabble-rouser seeking to drive traffic to a fabricated and unknown website.”

The Eagle Online recalls that the nigerianconcord.com.ng had after initial story on the issue, followed up with another, where it insisted on its authenticity.

In fact, the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of the online publication, Abiodun Oluwarotimi, challenged Tinubu to prove he was not denied US visa.

However, details of Tinubu’s existing valid visa had emerged.

The APC presidential candidate renewed his US visa in November 2021.

As is the practice, the former two-term Governor of Lagos State was issued a two-year visa, the maximum period of validity any Nigerian can get.

According to Western Post, the current visa was issued on November 18, 2021 and will expire November 15, 2023.

From the US visa bromide available to Western Post, Tinubu’s type B1/B2 visa carries control number: 20213207840001.

It also reported that perhaps miffed by the fake and groundless report, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, last week visited Tinubu at the APC Presidential Campaign Office in Abuja, where she cracked a joke with the APC standard-bearer, saying: “So the two-year visa you received last November has suddenly expired.”

Ambassador Leonard was accompanied on the visit by the …

Nigerians detained at Dubai Airport, passports seized

Some Nigerians who travelled to the United Arab Emirates have been detained at the Dubai International Airport and their passports seized, Vanguard Newspaper is reporting.

According to the highly credible newspaper, some of the Nigerians were kept at the airport by the authorities.

It said few others were seen demanding answers after their passports were seized without explanation in a video.

Others are seen sitting in an empty area as they waited to know their fate.

One of the persons who shared the video revealed that her sister later picked her up from Immigration after a “tedious process” but that other Nigerians who didn’t have anyone in the country were not released.

In the video, one of the officials at the airport was heard telling some of the Nigerians involved to leave the area where they were.

The male among them walked away after his protest.

He told the official that the United Nations will frown at such development after he had paid for and was issued with the UAE visa.

A lady’s voice was heard in the video calling for assistance from the Nigerian authorities over their plight.…

Minister to NIS: Allow Nigerians with expired passports to return home

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service to allow Nigerians in diaspora to return to Nigeria with their expired International Passports.

Ogbeni Aregbesola gave the directive while responding to a complaint by a Nigerian-American citizen, Jamui Kasumu.

The Minister spoke on Wednesday in Lagos at the Alausa Passport Office during his unscheduled visit to the facility.

He said Nigerians in diaspora were free to come back home with expired or non-expired Nigerian passports. The Minister said no Nigerian needed travel certificate to come back home, except children, whose parents were Nigerians, but their identity were yet to be established according to immigration rule.

“I am using this medium to instruct all Nigeria Immigration Officers worldwide to accord Nigerian travellers with expired passport use such passports to return safely back home henceforth,” he said.

The Minister also advised Nigerians in diaspora to update their travel documents ahead of time to avoid rush during emergency.

Earlier, Kasumu complained to the Minister that the Nigeria Immigration in America and Delta Airline prevented him from coming to Nigeria because of expired Nigerian passport.

Kasumu said he was able to return to Nigeria after he got a travel certificate he obtained through a relation in Nigeria.

“I am appealing to you sir that the Immigration should allow Nigerians with expired passport to come back to their country,” he said.…

FAAN to close Lagos airport domestic runway 18L/36R for repairs

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has concluded arrangements to complete the installation of CAT III Airfield Ground Lighting system on Runway 18L/36R at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

Faithful Hope-Ivbaze, Acting General Manager, Corporate Affairs, FAAN, said in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.

She said the closure was part of efforts aimed at improving safety and efficiency of flight operations.

Hope-Ivbaze said that the project, which would commence effectively on Friday (June 8), was expected to last for 90 days. She said that consequently, Runway 18L/36R would be closed to flight operations during this time.

She said: “Stakeholders are to note that there will be no disruption.

“All normal flight operations will be conducted through runway 18R/36L.

“A NOTAM to this effect has already been published and disseminated accordingly.”…

House of Reps delegation jets out to ‘witness’ evacuation of Nigerians fleeing Ukraine

The delegation left the country in order to “witness” the evacuation of Nigerians fleeing Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s attack. This comes a day after the National Assembly approved the request of President Muhammadu Buhari for the release of $8.5 million for the evacuation. The delegation is due to witness the evacuation to be carried out by Air Peace and Max Air in Poland, Romania and Ukraine border. They, however, did not wait for any of the airlines for the trip.

The delegation boarded a Turkish Airlines flight.

The trip followed a resolution passed by the House of Representatives over the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.…

Countries you can travel to with your Nigerian Diplomatic Passport

Anguilla No visa required.
Bahrain May obtain visa on arrival.
Bangladesh Visa on arrival
Barbados 6 months
Benin 90 days
Bolivia No visa required
Brazil
British Virgin Islands Visa on arrival for 1 month.
Burkina Faso Visa free of charge on arrival
Cambodia Visa on arrival up to 30 days. eVisa available.
Cameroon 90 days
Cape Verde No visa required
Chad 90 days
China 30 days.
Comoros Visa on arrival
Cook Islands 31 days.
Cote d’Ivoire No visa required.
Djibouti Visa on arrival
Dominica Up to 6 months.
Ethiopia Visa-free
Fiji Up to 4 months
Gambia Visa-free for 90 days
Ghana Visa-free up to 90 days
Grenada Visa required.
Guinea 90 days
Guinea-Bissau 90 days
Haiti 3 months
Iran Visa on arrival, 30 days
Lebanon Visa on arrival for 1 month. Conditions apply.
Liberia No visa required.
Libya No visa required.
Macau Visa not required.
Madagascar Visa on arrival. 90 days, 30 days free of charge.
Maldives 30 days with possible extension.
Mali Visa-free
Mauritania Visa on arrival at Nouakchott International Airport.
Mauritius Visa-free or visa on arrival. 14-90 days.
Micronesia 30 days.
Montserrat 6 months.
Mozambique Visa on arrival for 30 days.
Niger Visa-free
Niue 30 days.
Palau Visa on arrival for 30 days.
Peru Visa required.
Rwanda 30 days
Saint Kitts and Nevis 30 days
Samoa 60 days.
Senegal 90 days
Seychelles 3 months.
Sierra Leone Visa-free
South Sudan No visa required.
Sudan No visa required.
Tanzania Visa on arrival, but recommended to obtain before departure.
Timor-Leste Visa on arrival for 30 days.
Togo Visa-free access.
Tuvalu Visa on arrival for 1 month.
Uganda 3 months visa on arrival. eVisa available.
Vanuatu 30 days
Zambia No visa required.