Nigerian Professionals, Families Stranded as U.S. Embassy Quietly Revokes Visas
The United States Embassy in Nigeria has reportedly begun the quiet revocation of valid visas previously issued to Nigerian citizens, leaving professionals, entrepreneurs, frequent travellers, and families stranded with cancelled plans and mounting financial losses.
Former Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd, Olufemi Soneye, raised the alarm in an article on Sunday titled “The Quiet Revocation: Why is the U.S. Silently Cancelling Nigerians’ Visas?” He revealed that several Nigerians have recently received official letters from the embassy instructing them to submit their passports at its Lagos or Abuja offices, only to have their visas cancelled without explanation.
The notices, citing Title 22, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 41.122, vaguely stated that “new information became available after the visa was issued,” but offered no further details, evidence, or right of appeal.
Those affected reportedly include a prominent journalist, the head of a federal government agency scheduled to deliver an international address, and an Abuja-based entrepreneur with a clean travel record. Others are professionals and frequent travellers who rely on U.S. visas for education, family visits, medical treatment, and business engagements.
The sudden cancellations have forced many to abandon trips, refund tickets, and explain missed appointments to partners abroad. In some cases, travellers only discovered the revocation at airports, with a few briefly detained before being turned back.
So far, neither the U.S. Embassy nor Nigerian authorities have issued an official statement on the matter, leaving affected citizens in uncertainty.
Many of those impacted insist they have never overstayed visas, broken immigration laws, or posed security risks, raising concerns that the move could signal a silent but deliberate tightening of U.S. visa policy against Nigerians.
COMMENTS