Nigerian With Valid Visa Denied Entry Into The US

  

Nigerians have been advised by the Federal government to suspend any trip to the United States of America at the moment except for crucial matters owing to lack of clarity of the new executive order on Immigration.

This advise came following an entry refusal to about 4 Nigerians with valid U.S visa recently.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Matters, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, told The PUNCH on Monday that “At least, four Nigerians with valid visas were denied entry to the US within the last two weeks and sent back to the country on the next available flights,”

In a statement on Monday, Dabiri-Erewa advised Nigerians without any compelling or essential reasons to visit the US to consider delaying their trip “until there is clarity in the new immigration policy.”
Francis Adekola, who was affected by the immigration restriction, explained that he was prevented from attending a friend’s wedding in Mississippi on February 15, 2017.
Narrating his bitter experience, Adekola said he was detained for over 10 hours before he was placed on aircraft and returned to Abuja via Johannesburg.

He said, “I travelled to the US on February 15, but when we got to the Atlanta airport, where I was to connect another flight, I was asked to step aside at the check-in counter by an armed border protection officer.

“He walked me to the luggage section and searched my wallet and bag. He also collected my telephone (set) and went through the contents: SMSes, pictures, WhatsApp chats, everything.”

He said  he was informed by the immigration agent that he did not have strong ties in Nigeria and that he might not go back home if allowed into the US.
My documents were not released to me until the plane was airborne on its way to Abuja even though my home was in Lagos,” he said.
Adekola,  recently finished his Ph.D at a Canadian university,