The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced a new requirement for visa applicants, mandating the disclosure of all social media usernames and handles used in the past five years.

The directive was issued on Monday via a post on the Mission’s official X (formerly Twitter) account. It aligns with the U.S. Department of State’s broader efforts to strengthen national security through enhanced applicant screening procedures.

According to the U.S. Mission, Nigerian applicants must provide a complete list of their social media profiles on the DS-160 visa application form, which is used for non-immigrant visa requests.

“Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last 5 years on the DS-160 visa application form,” the Mission stated.

It further cautioned that failure to accurately disclose this information may result in visa denial and could affect future eligibility for U.S. visas.

“Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas,” the statement added.

The measure is part of a broader U.S. policy introduced in recent years, aimed at tightening immigration controls and improving background checks for travelers to the United States.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration has said it will sustain its onslaught on criminal hideouts and illegal shanties in Abuja, particularly in Area 1, Durumi Distrit, where the administration described security threats as “worrisome”.

The Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister of Public Communication and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, made this known in a statement on Monday, adding that illegal shanties in Area 1, Duru I, will be “cleared very soon.”

According to the statement, FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has set up a Stakeholders Committee made up of heads of security agencies, FCTA officials, civil society organisations, members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, and others, in a bid to ensure safety of Abuja residents.

“The ongoing onslaught on criminal hideouts in Abuja will continue. High level criminal activities such as robbery, carjacking, drug peddling and other heinous crimes with its attendant security implications to law abiding FCT residents cannot be allowed to continue,” the statement partly read.

Olayinka noted that the security agencies had previously arrested over 120 miscreants in the area, recovered seven stolen vehicles, 79 motorcycles, and 155 ATM cards, in an operation that lasted over three hours months ago, adding however, that the criminals had regrouped, and the shanties were back after previously being cleared.

“Three months ago, when security agencies carried out an operation in Area 1, Durumi, over 120 miscreants were arrested. Among those arrested in the operation that lasted over three hours were drug peddlers, one-chance operators, carjackers, and armed robbers.

“Seven stolen vehicles, and 79 stolen motorcycles were recovered, while 155 ATM cards were recovered. These ATM cards were those snatched from victims of one-chance operators, using the settlement as their base.

“Then, some of the shanties in Area 1, Durumi, were cleared. But today, the shanties are back, and the criminals have regrouped, making the area uninhabitable for law-abiding Nigerians. Consequently, the FCTA is already clearing shanties in the City Centre, and those in Area 1, Durumi will be cleared very soon,” the statement read.

Olayinka also noted that some of the shanties and makeshift houses were built on lands allocated over 20 years ago, disallowing allotees and even government agencies from making use of the lands.

A lone driver was confirmed dead early Monday after his Toyota Highlander collided with a commercial bus illegally picking passengers at the Volkswagen bus stop, inward Mile 2, Lagos.

The accident involved a Toyota Highlander with registration number APP 150 EY and a painted T4 commercial bus marked KJA 328 XH.

Eyewitnesses reported that the Highlander, reportedly traveling at high speed, lost control and crashed into the stationary bus with significant force. The driver of the Highlander died instantly from the impact.

Officials from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) arrived at the scene shortly after the crash, extricated the driver’s lifeless body from the wreckage, and handed it over to the Ojo Police Division. The body was later taken to C-Niger Mortuary, Abule Ado.

The collision caused severe traffic congestion along the busy Mile 2 corridor, but LASTMA officers quickly cleared the wreckage and towed both vehicles to the Ojo Police Division for further investigation.

In response, LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and warned motorists against reckless driving and speeding.

He also condemned the habit of commercial drivers picking up passengers indiscriminately along the roadside, urging strict adherence to designated government bus stops.

“The sanctity of human life must never be compromised by recklessness on our highways. We shall continue to intensify enforcement and sustain public enlightenment campaigns to prevent needless tragedies,” Bakare-Oki said.