A coalition of leading Nigerian civil society organisations, under the banner of the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign, has thrown its full weight behind the Nigerian government’s decision to reject a controversial move by the United States to deport Venezuelan prisoners to Nigeria.
In a joint press statement signed by respected activists across various sectors, the coalition called the U.S. request not just offensive, but “a stain on human dignity and a breach of international law.”
The statement, co-signed by Gerald Katchy (CDHR), Dimeji Macaulay (Anti-Fascist Movement), Blessing Yusuf (FIWON), Charles Chibuike (CADII), and Abiodun Fayemi (AFAP), praised Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar for standing firm and refusing to bow to what they described as a neo-colonial insult.
“The attempt to offload Venezuelan prisoners on Nigeria is not only illegal—it is immoral,” the group said. “We commend Ambassador Tuggar for boldly declaring that Nigeria has enough problems of its own and cannot become a dumping ground for prisoners who have no link to our country or continent.”
According to the group, the deportation scheme was rooted in racism, disrespect, and the erosion of sovereignty, particularly by U.S. administrations that continue to sideline international standards and decency.
They went on to link the move to larger issues in U.S. foreign policy—especially under the leadership of former President Donald Trump, whom they accused of using immigration and deportation as political weapons.
“This is not migration management. It’s modern-day slavery wrapped in diplomatic arrogance,” the statement read. “You cannot package human beings like unwanted cargo and ship them to countries that have no connection to them whatsoever.”
The coalition also called on other African nations to take a strong stance against what it labelled the “neo-colonial power games” of Western powers.
“Nigeria is not alone. No African country should accept foreign deportees who are neither their citizens nor their responsibility. If we say yes today, tomorrow we open the door to worse violations of our sovereignty.”
Beyond just rejecting the deportees, the coalition also expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people and their government, particularly President Nicolás Maduro. They urged the U.S. to lift all sanctions and allow the country to rebuild without external sabotage.
“If the U.S. truly cares about Venezuelans, they should lift the crippling sanctions and stop undermining Venezuela’s elected leadership. What they are doing is economic strangulation and political destabilisation.”
The group claimed that the U.S. had already deported over 300 Venezuelans to El Salvador, allegedly bribing the Salvadoran government with $6 million—a move they said amounted to “buying silence in exchange for shame.”
Calling this a “new form of human trafficking,” the group issued a rallying cry to Nigerians and global citizens:
“We must reject these inhuman schemes. This is not just about Venezuela or Nigeria—it’s about protecting dignity, sovereignty, and the basic right of every person not to be treated like disposable waste.”
They concluded by warning that any future attempt to force Nigeria to accept deportees from Venezuela or anywhere else would be firmly resisted—both on legal and moral grounds.
“We stand for dignity. We stand for sovereignty. We stand for justice.”
