Photo File: Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has advised Nigerians and other Africans whose United States visas were recently revoked to return home immediately to avoid arrest by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Sani, in a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, said those affected should not delay their departure, reminding them that “no matter how long you live abroad, you’ll be reminded it’s not your home.”

He wrote:

“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.”

His statement followed 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 a report released last Thursday, the revoked visas include 16,000 linked to driving under the influence (DUI), 12,000 for assault, and 8,000 student visas. Others were withdrawn for reasons such as terrorist support, criminal activity, overstays, and public safety threats.

While the affected nationalities were not disclosed, earlier reports in August showed that over 6,000 student visas belonging to Nigerians were revoked for overstays and legal violations, with a few linked to terrorism-related concerns.

The move comes amid tighter US visa regulations in recent months. In July, the US Embassy instructed all applicants for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas to make their social media accounts public for enhanced background checks. Around the same period, new policy changes reduced visa validity periods for Nigerians across several categories.

Sani’s remarks add to the growing concern among African nationals about the impact of the renewed US immigration policies under the Trump administration.