Trump’s Crackdown Hits 5,144 Nigerians as FG Prepares for Mass Return

By Achimi Muktar

As the United States ramps up its deportation crackdown under President Donald Trump’s administration, no fewer than 5,144 Nigerians are set to be forcibly returned home. With reports surfacing of non-Americans being deported in handcuffs aboard military planes, concerns are rising over the treatment Nigerian deportees might face.

According to the latest figures, 1,454 Nigerians are currently in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, with 772 facing criminal charges or convictions and the rest held for immigration violations like visa overstays. Data further reveals that between 2019 and 2024, a total of 884 Nigerians have already been deported, with an additional 417 removed as of November 2024.

This mass removal aligns with Trump’s renewed immigration policies, aimed at purging the U.S. of undocumented migrants. Countries like Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil have already protested the harsh treatment of their deported citizens, many of whom were transported in military aircraft, handcuffed, and treated like criminals.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro strongly condemned the practice, stating, “We are the opposite of the Nazis,” and even offered his presidential plane to ensure the “dignified return” of deported Colombians. Similarly, Brazil slammed the “degrading treatment” of its citizens after deportees were reportedly shackled aboard a commercial flight.

Back home, the Nigerian Federal Government has announced that it is ready to receive the deportees. The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) confirmed that an inter-agency committee—comprising the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NiDCOM, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and the Office of the National Security Adviser—has been established to handle the influx of returnees.

Speaking to Sunday Vanguard, NiDCOM Chairman Abike Dabiri reiterated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is overseeing the situation. She emphasized that the Nigerian government is actively preparing for any potential mass deportation.

Meanwhile, former Nigerian Ambassador to the U.S., Joe Keshi, stressed that poor economic conditions continue to drive Nigerians abroad. He suggested that if the Tinubu administration improves the economy, fewer Nigerians would feel compelled to seek greener pastures. “If the government improves the economy, people will stay. Otherwise, it’s just their families who will suffer when they stop receiving remittances.”

As deportations escalate, U.S. military aircraft have already been used to transport 160 migrants to Guatemala, with Mexico refusing a similar request. Trump has even threatened economic sanctions on Colombia for initially rejecting deportation flights.

With these developments, Nigerians in the U.S. are now hiding indoors, fearing arrest and forced removal. The situation raises urgent questions: Will Nigerian deportees face the same degrading treatment as others? Will they be handcuffed on arrival? And how prepared is Nigeria to reintegrate thousands of returnees?

As Trump’s crackdown intensifies, all eyes are on the Nigerian government to see how it will handle what could become one of the country’s largest deportation waves in recent history.