Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has urged Nigerians and other Africans affected by recent US visa revocations to return home before potentially facing arrest by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In a post on his X (Twitter) handle on Monday, Sani stated that no matter how long one stays abroad, they will eventually be reminded that it is not their home.
“Nigerians and other thousands of Africans whose visas were recently revoked by President Trump should hasten and leave the country and return home before they get arrested by ICE.
No matter how long you live in the comfort of your adopted home, you will someday be reminded that it’s not your father’s house,” he wrote.
The advisory comes amid reports that the US State Department has revoked at least 80,000 visas since January 2025 under President Donald Trump’s administration, more than twice the number recorded in the previous year.
A report released last Thursday noted that the revoked visas include:
- 16,000 linked to driving under the influence
- 12,000 for assault
- 8,000 student visas
Other reasons cited for the revocations include terrorist support, criminal activity, public safety threats, overstays, and actual terrorism. While the nationalities of affected visa holders were not disclosed, the department had earlier reported that over 6,000 student visas were withdrawn for overstays and legal violations, including a small number linked to terrorism support.
The US has also tightened visa regulations in recent months. In July 2025, the US Embassy directed applicants for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas to make their social media accounts public as part of enhanced background checks. That same month, a major policy change affected Nigerian applicants, including a reduction in the validity period for several visa categories.
