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Deportation: Nigerians In America Now Hide, Avoid Quarrels, Says US-Based Prof

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A Professor of Social Ethics at Boston University, Nimi Wariboko, has said that the sweeping crackdown on undocumented immigrants in the United States has triggered palpable fear among Nigerians living in Donald Trump’s America.

The don spoke virtually from the US on the Friday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television.

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Here, of course, there are a good number of Nigerians that don’t have papers. So, there are worrying,” Wariboko said while describing the mood of the Nigerian community in the US barely three weeks after Trump resumed at the Oval Office.

If you are a pastor, if you are a leader in those communities, you are worried for those people; you have concerns for them. Are they going to be deported?

READ ALSO: Trump’s Crackdown: FG To Receive Nigerian Deportees As Non-Americans Are Deported In Handcuffs

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“Some of them are hiding – there is that palpable fear that they could be raided. If you quarrel with your neighbours, they can call the immigration enforcement unit. There is that palpable fear. They are fearful, they are angry, they don’t know what is going to happen.”

Trump, who took over power for the second term on January 20, 2025, vowed mass deportation of “criminal aliens” who illegally gained entry into the United States. Already, mass raids have been carried out at homes, schools, workplaces, and shopping centres where undocumented immigrants were picked up and deported to places like India, and Guatemala, among others.

Mixed reactions have trailed Trump’s immigration move with some commending his action while others begrudge it.

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Wariboko said undocumented Nigerian immigrants in America are angry with their countrymen on Nigerian soil for not being compassionate.

READ ALSO: Trump’s Policies: 201 Nigerians In US Custody For Deportation

They (undocumented Nigerian immigrants) are saying at the end of the day, if this great replacement holds, they are going to be sent back home. Do you have jobs to absorb them?”

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He said “even those with legal papers and have acquired US citizenship could still be in jeopardy” with the proposed reversal of the birth citizenship laws.

The professor argued that the Nigerian government should be interested in defending its citizens in the United States because any immigration policies that lead to deportation would affect the Nigerian economy as Nigerians overseas contribute a significant amount to the local economy.

According to the World Bank, remittance from Nigerians living abroad reached $20bn in 2023.

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READ ALSO: Deportation: Trump Administration Revokes Protected Status For Venezuelans

He said, “They are saying even if you don’t like us, people in the US send billions of dollars home every year to sustain the Nigerian economy, to sustain their families. Even for the sake of economic interest, Nigeria should care about that because there is money that comes from here to sustain different families.

“For many families, if they didn’t have people abroad; in Europe, in Asia, in the United States or Canada, their economic well-being will be below what they have in the country. So, if people know that policies are about defending your economic interest, then they will be defending their fellow citizens because it is in the national interest of Nigeria.

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“If anybody in the world is coming up with policies that will affect the Nigerian economy, the government should defend Nigerians in that regard.”

READ ALSO: Following Trump, Argentina Quits World Health Organization

Trump’s latest move is a reminder of his immigration policy during his first term as POTUS. In 2020, the Trump administration added Nigeria to a list of countries whose citizens will in some way be restricted from entering the United States because Nigeria didn’t comply with identity management and information sharing criteria.

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Approximately 376,000 Nigerian immigrants live in the United States as of 2015, according to official sources. Nigeria is the largest source of African immigration to the United States.

The United States is one of the top destinations for migrating Nigerian youths and the middle class in search of greener pastures. Nigerians in America form a bulk of the total diaspora bulge which contributes more than $20bn annually to Nigeria’s economy, according to the 2023 data from the World Bank.

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Zelensky Responds To Putin’s Invite To Russia For Peace Talks

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invitation to visit Moscow for peace talks over the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war.

According to the Russian government, President Putin is preparing to host Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, in Moscow.

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Presidential aide Dmitry Peskov confirmed the meeting during an interview with TASS at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) on Friday.

The Kremlin spokesman said Putin’s invitation to the Ukrainian leader was “to talk, not to surrender.”

READ ALSO:Russia Hits Out At Macron For Calling Putin ‘Ogre’

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Peskov noted that efforts to resolve the 42-month conflict are ongoing but declined to predict the outcome. He quoted Putin as saying, “There is light at the end of the tunnel.”

The Russian government says it aims to achieve its objectives in Ukraine through peaceful means but will continue its special military operation if no truce is reached.

When asked about a possible follow-up conversation between President Putin and President Donald Trump after their meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, Peskov said, “There are no developments yet.”

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He also spoke about US-Russia relations, saying “the process of bringing our relations out of complete paralysis will take time.” Peskov added that “much damage has been done to the architecture” of both countries’ ties, referring to years of diplomatic standoff under the previous US administration.

READ ALSO:Again, Russia Claims Another Village In Ukraine’s Region

Responding to the open invite during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after the Coalition of the Willing meeting, Zelensky said he can only be invited when Russia wants there to be no meeting.

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Speaking about the coalition meeting amid ongoing effort for peace in Ukraine, Zelensky said the meeting is necessary and “not about desire, but a real need.” He added that he supports any format for the talks—trilateral or bilateral—but believes Russia is trying to delay it.

The meeting is needed, this is not about desire, but it is needed. We supported it in any format: both trilateral and bilateral. I believe that Russia is doing everything to delay it. Our American partners told us that Putin invited me to Moscow. I think that when you want there to be no meeting, then you should invite me,” Zelensky said.

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Surfer Dies After Suspected Shark Attack In Sydney

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A man has died following a suspected shark attack at Long Reef Beach in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, police in New South Wales have confirmed.

Emergency services were called shortly after 10:00 am local time on Saturday after reports that a surfer had suffered critical injuries about 100 metres offshore.

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Despite being pulled from the water by fellow surfers, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said two sections of a surfboard were recovered from the water and have been sent for expert analysis. The victim, described as an experienced surfer, had been in the water for only about 30 minutes when the incident occurred.

READ ALSO:Proposed Tesla Pay Package Could Make Musk World’s First Trillionaire

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In a statement, the police said the man had been pulled out of the morning surf onto the shore at Long Reef Beach, but he “died at the scene”.

Two sections of a surfboard have been recovered and taken for expert examination,” the statement read.

At a news briefing later on Saturday, the police described the victim as an “experienced surfer” who had been in the water with his friends.

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They said he had been surfing for only about 30 minutes when he was attacked some 100m (328ft) off the shore, losing “a number of limbs”.

READ ALSO:US To Cut Military Aid To European Countries Near Russia — Official

Rod McGibbon, a duty officer from Surf Life Saving, said the victim had been brought to the beach by other surfers.

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He said he expected the beaches to remain closed for between 24 and 72 hours.

The victim’s name has not been publicly released.

Local police officers and experts were now working together to “determine the species of shark involved”, the police added.

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READ ALSO:UK Charges Nigerian-British Art Dealer Ochuko Ojiri With Terrorism-related Offence

The last deadly shark attack in the Sydney area in 2022, when Simon Nellist, a British diving instructor, was mauled by a great white shark.

Prior to that, there had not been a fatal attack since 1963.

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Australia typically records about 20 shark attacks each year, with most in New South Wales and Western Australia.

Historically, dying from a shark bite is uncommon. In over a century of records, Australia’s shark attack mortality rate is 0.9 – less than one person per year.

(BBC)

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David Lammy Appointed UK’s Deputy PM

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Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a major cabinet reshuffle following the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, in a move that could reshape the direction of his administration.

As part of the shake-up, David Lammy, a senior Labour figure and former Foreign Secretary, has been appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, taking over key roles previously held by Rayner.

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The cabinet reshuffle comes at a politically sensitive time for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose leadership is under growing pressure from both within the Labour Party and the broader electorate.

The sudden resignation of Angela Rayner, a high-profile figure with strong working-class support, has exposed internal tensions and sparked concerns over the party’s unity and electoral strategy.

According to BBC News on Friday, the reshuffle is seen as a crucial test for Starmer’s leadership, especially as Rayner had been a prominent and working-class figure whose departure may weaken his appeal to core Labour voters.

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READ ALSO:UK PM Starmer Urges Israel To Stop Gaza Assault

Key Cabinet reassignment

-Lammy transitions from Foreign Secretary to Deputy PM and Justice Secretary.

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-Yvette Cooper moves from Home Secretary to Foreign Secretary.

-Shabana Mahmood is promoted from Justice Secretary to Home Secretary.

Other notable appointments include:

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-Steve Reed as Housing Secretary

-Pat McFadden as head of a newly expanded Work and Pensions department

-Douglas Alexander as Scotland Secretary

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-Liz Kendall moves to Science and Technology

READ ALSO:UK PM Starmer Urges Israel To Stop Gaza Assault

-Emma Reynolds becomes Environment Secretary

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-Peter Kyle appointed Business Secretary

-Jonathan Reynolds named Chief Whip

-Alan Campbell becomes Leader of the House of Commons

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Meanwhile, Lucy Powell and Ian Murray were removed from their cabinet roles.

Political Fallout and Internal Tensions

READ ALSO:UK Bars Over 100 Job Roles From Foreign Recruitment To Curb Migration

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Labour now faces mounting political pressure. Observers note Rayner’s exit leaves a vacuum for constituents drawn to her working-class credentials, possibly intensifying internal party divisions.

Her resignation also triggers a deputy leadership contest, opening up a battleground between the party’s centrist and left-leaning factions.

Moreover, Labour’s popularity has waned, with opposition to policies on welfare and immigration increasing support for Reform UK.

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Starmer’s government’s handling of economic pressures and an upcoming £40 billion budget shortfall deepen the political stakes.

READ ALSO:Putin Not Serious About Peace, Says UK’s Starmer

Lammy Steps into Key Role at a Crucial Juncture

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Lammy’s appointment is viewed as strategically significant. Known for his reform credentials and advocacy for criminal justice reform, his new position comes as Parliament prepares for the Sentencing Bill.

The Prison Reform Trust welcomed his appointment, noting the timing offers “an important opportunity to move away from the failed cycle of overcrowding and crisis management.”

This reshuffle represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of Keir Starmer’s administration. With Labour under heightened scrutiny and internal frictions rising, the effectiveness of the newly configured cabinet will be a litmus test of Starmer’s leadership, particularly as the party approaches a difficult budget season, rising populist pressures, and internal power shifts ahead of the next deputy leadership election.

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