SEVEN COUNTRIES, NIGERIA, likely included, could be on US planned travel bans or severe restrictions on entry to the United States. President Donald Trump’s administration is preparing additional list of “couple of countries” whose citizens will be affected by the travel bans or severe restrictions on entry to the US.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said: “We are adding a couple of countries to it. We have to be safe. Our country has to be safe.” The names of the additional countries would be announced “very shortly”. On assumption of office, January 2017, Trump announced travel bans and restrictions on countries it considered security risk to US interest.
Nigeria’s security situation is worsening. The country is at war with insurgency. There are growing insecurity in other parts of the country, with agonizing impact on the citizens. Military operations are on-going in over 24, out of 36 States of the federation, due to escalating criminal activities and armed banditry. There seemed to be insignificant progress made by government to guarantee safety of lives, and protection of property in the country.
Business-focused, US influential Wall Street Journal, had earlier, reported that Trump’s administration planned to add seven countries including Nigeria, and others countries in Africa and Asia to the country’s travel ban list. The nations being considered were Belarus, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Sudan and Tanzania.
Nigerian Presidency, described the report of US, possible, travel ban on Nigeria, as speculative. Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari, on media and publicity, said:” Yes, we have read the news that the Trump administration is planning to add a host of African, Asian and Eastern European countries to its travel restrictions list as reported by the U.S. media.”
Shehu added:” We are not going to react to speculations”. The government would wait “to see what unfolds under the new policy, its scope, its reach, the implications and its consequences” before reacting.
European Union parliament, recently, expressed concern over the spate of attacks and killings by Nigeria’s terror group, Boko Haram. EU said the country was not yet winning the war against the terror group. It stated that progress in the anti-terrorism effort has stalled, including issues on human rights violations.
