International
Trumps immigration policy: 5,144 Nigerians face arrest, deportation from US
No fewer than 5,144 Nigerians may be affected in the initial stage of the ongoing deportation exercises from the United States of America as President Donald Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants continues.
The figure includes non-US citizens of Nigeria origin in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, and Enforcement and Removal Operations, ERO, non-detained docket with final orders of removal from the US and those already in ICE detention.
Efforts made to reach the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the matter, at press time last night, proved abortive.
But the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM, said the Federal Government had already put in place an inter-agency committee to tackle the matter should there be mass deportation of Nigerians by Donald Trump’s government.
However, data shared by ICE showed that a total of 1,445,549 non-US citizens from different nationalities are on the non-detained docket with final orders of removal as at November 2024, with 3,690 being Nigerians.
Fresh data from ICE also indicated that an additional 1,454 are currently in detention and are billed for deportation to Nigeria.
According to the data, 772 of the 1,454 Nigerians in ICE custody were arrested and detained for criminal convictions or pending criminal charges, while the rest were arrested for other immigration violations, such as visa overstay.
It further showed that 417 were arrested and removed as at November 2024, while 884 were removed between 2019 and 2024.
The disclosure by ICE comes at a time the newly-inaugurated administration of President Trump is implementing an immigration policy aimed at ridding the United States of illegal immigrants.
Nearly 3,000 “criminal aliens” have been arrested in the first few days of the operation in the wake of the mass deportation.
Though the initial arrest and deportation were focussed on illegal immigrants with known criminal records, there is a growing concern that attention would soon shift to include other illegal immigrants, especially those in the non-detained list with orders for their removal from the states.
A “non-detained docket” refers to a list maintained by ICE that includes individuals they believe are removable non-citizens currently residing in the United States but are not held in ICE detention.
Essentially, they are people that are not currently in ICE custody but are still considered targets for potential deportation action.
Usually, ICE, with the power of final order of removal from an immigration court, will go ahead to deport a person on the non-detained docket, even though a person may be deported without a court order under the process of expedited removal.
International
China’s Foreign Minister visits four African countries on annual tour
Beijing has sent hundreds of thousands of workers and engineers to the continent and gained strategic access to its vast mineral riches, including copper, gold and lithium.
China’s top diplomat kicks off a New Year trip to Africa on Wednesday, the foreign ministry said, seeking to boost trade on a four-country circuit that includes several recent political hotspots.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s tour of the continent’s east and south will take him to Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania and Lesotho, concluding on Monday, the ministry said in a statement.
The visits are in keeping with the Chinese diplomatic convention of recent decades, whereby the foreign minister’s first overseas trip of the year is to Africa.
The current tour “aims to deepen political mutual trust with all parties… (and) strengthen exchanges and mutual learning”, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Wednesday at a regular news conference.
China is Africa’s top business partner, with trade reaching $296 billion in 2024, according to Chinese state media.
Beijing has sent hundreds of thousands of workers and engineers to the continent and gained strategic access to its vast mineral riches, including copper, gold and lithium.
International
Trump Announces Venezuela to Turn Over Up to 50 Million Barrels of Oil to United States
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that interim authorities in Venezuela will turn over between 30 and 50 million barrels of high-quality sanctioned oil to the United States, following the recent U.S. military operation that removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated: “I am pleased to announce that the Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 Million Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America.
This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!
“The president added that he has directed Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute the plan immediately, with the oil to be transported via storage ships directly to U.S. unloading docks.
The announcement comes amid ongoing developments in Venezuela, where the oil—previously held in storage due to U.S. sanctions—is estimated to be worth up to $2.8 billion at current market prices around $56 per barrel.
Analysts note that this volume represents a modest addition to global supply but could divert exports previously destined for China.U.S. crude futures dipped slightly following the news, closing lower by about 1.3%. Major U.S. oil companies, including Chevron, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips, are reportedly monitoring the situation, with meetings planned between industry representatives and the administration to discuss future investments in Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
The deal marks a significant step in Trump’s stated goal of revitalizing Venezuela’s oil sector, which holds the world’s largest proven reserves but has seen production decline sharply in recent years due to sanctions, underinvestment, and mismanagement.
International
Nicolas Maduro, wife plead not guilty in New York court
Maduro, 63, told a federal judge in Manhattan that he had been “kidnapped” from Venezuela and said, “I’m innocent, I’m not guilty; I’m still the president of my country.”
Deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty to charges of narco-terrorism in a New York court on Monday, two days after being snatched by US forces in a stunning raid on his home in Caracas.
Maduro, 63, told a federal judge in Manhattan that he had been “kidnapped” from Venezuela and said, “I’m innocent, I’m not guilty; I’m still the president of my country.”
Maduro’s wife Cilia Flores likewise pleaded not guilty.
The pair were snatched by US commandos in the early hours of Saturday in an assault backed by warplanes and a heavy naval deployment.
(AFP)
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