Shehu Sani To Nigerians with Revoked US Visas: Come Back Home

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has advised Nigerians and other Africans affected by the recent mass visa revocations in the United States to return home before facing possible action from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

In a post shared on his X (Twitter) account on Monday, Sani warned that regardless of how long one resides abroad, they will eventually be reminded that it is not their true home.

He wrote:

“Nigerians and other thousands of Africans whose visas were recently revoked by President Trump should hasten to 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.”

Sani’s advice follows reports that the US State Department has revoked at least 80,000 visas since January 2025 under President Donald Trump’s administration — more than double the figure recorded in the previous year.

According to the report released last Thursday, the revoked visas include 16,000 linked to driving under the influence, 12,000 for assault, and 8,000 student visas. Other grounds for cancellation reportedly include terrorism support, criminal offenses, public safety concerns, overstays, and actual terrorism-related cases.

Although the nationalities of those affected were not specified, a previous statement from the US government in August indicated that over 6,000 student visas were revoked due to overstays and legal violations, including a few cases tied to terrorism support.

In recent months, the United States has also tightened its visa policies. In July, 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, it announced a major policy revision affecting Nigerian applicants, including shorter validity periods for several visa categories.