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The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, on Thursday disclosed that the United States (US) is mounting pressure on African countries to accept Venezuelan deportees.
Tuggar revealed that some of these Venezuelan deportees are prisoners in the US.
He made this disclosure while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
The Minister also stated that Nigeria may not be able to accept these prisoners.
He said: “The issue of tariffs may not necessarily have to do with us participating in BRICS.
“You have to bear in mind that the US is mounting considerable pressure on African countries to accept Venezuelans to be deported from the US, some straight out of prisons.
“It will be difficult for Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria.”
In other news, at least 35 Nigerians have been deported from the Republic of Ireland and the number includes five children.
They were all flown to Nigeria in a chartered flight that left the Dublin Airport on Wednesday night.
According to the Irish Mirror, the number is made up of 21 men, nine women, and five children.
They have landed in Nigeria on Thursday.
Irish Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, said he was “happy to say” that all of them have returned to Nigeria despite an unscheduled stopover due to a medical incident on board.
Although the Irish government did not give a specific reason for the deportation of the Nigerian nationals, O’Callaghan explained that, “Ireland has a rules-based immigration system.
“It is important that those rules are robust and enforced.”