Headline

UK Opens Visa Application Centres In Enugu, Port Harcourt

Published

1 year ago

May 5, 2025

Editor

Residents of Enugu and Port Harcourt seeking to travel to the United Kingdom can now access visa services more conveniently, following the opening of new Premium Visa Application Centres by VFS Global in both cities.

According to a statement from the UK Home Office on Monday, the new centres, located at Omedel Luxury Hotel in Enugu and Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt, are designed to cater to the increasing demand for UK visas from Nigeria, particularly during the summer travel season.

Appointments can be booked online via the VFS Global website.

The statement noted that these additions complement existing UK Visa Application Centres in Abuja, Ikeja, and Victoria Island, Lagos, which have been operational since November 2024.

Nigeria remains one of the top four countries globally for UK visit visa applications, accounting for six percent of the total, the statement added.

The UK Minister of State at the Home Office, Rt. Hon. Lord Hanson noted the significance of the openings. “The government is pleased to be able to reopen the Premium Visa Application Centres in both Port Harcourt and Enugu.

“In 2024 we received more than 230,000 visa applications from Nigerian nationals across all visa routes and these new premium application centres will provide greater convenience for applicants in and around Enugu and Rivers State demonstrating the importance of the UK – Nigeria relationship in these markets as well as Nigeria as a whole,” he said.

The Head of Sub-Saharan Africa at VFS Global, Alok Singhal, emphasised the added convenience. “We are pleased to open the additional, conveniently located touchpoints for our UK visa customers in the form of the recently opened Premium Application Centres in Enugu and Port Harcourt, Nigeria, which help us cater to a larger number of travellers to the UK.

“Our customers will continue to enjoy the same comfort, convenience, and best-in-class services at these locations that they do at our Visa Application Centres in Abuja and Lagos,” he said.

Applicants using the Premium Centres can also take advantage of additional services, including document upload assistance, application status notifications, courier return of documents, and the option to keep their passports while applications are processed.

VFS Global, which began partnering with UK Visas and Immigration in 2003, was awarded the global contract to manage UK visa services in 142 countries in 2023.

The company operates over 3,500 application centres across 158 countries and has processed more than 309 million applications since 2001.

Headline

Indian Court Denies Bail To Nigerian Man Over Drug Charges

Published

5 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

A court in India has denied bail to a 44-year-old Nigerian national, Cristian Soporuchukwu, who is currently facing drug trafficking charges in the country.

Cristian Soporuchukwu initially entered India on a business visa but was later arrested over allegations of involvement in the sale of hard drugs.

Reports indicated that after arriving in India, Soporuchukwu travelled through Goa, Delhi, and Mumbai, where he allegedly established links with suspected drug traffickers.

He was accused of purchasing MDMA crystals and distributing them to college students and information technology workers.

According to reports, operatives of the Beguru Police arrested Cristian Soporuchukwu in April 2025 for allegedly selling MDMA crystals around Begur Lake and the AECS Layout Road area.

The New Indian Express reported that the High Court of Karnataka subsequently dismissed the Nigerian’s bail application.

“The anti-narcotics wing seized about 1 kg of MDMA crystals, a pocket weighing machine, 10 zip-lock covers, a mobile phone and a scooter from him,” the report stated.

Justice V. Srishananda, while ruling on the bail application, reportedly held that errors relating to the grounds of arrest could not automatically justify bail in serious narcotics-related offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, NDPS, Act.

The court further noted that Cristian Soporuchukwu had allegedly overstayed his visa in India, according to the report.

Headline

Strait Of Hormuz: US Announces Sanctions Against Iran

Published

5 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States Treasury has announced sanctions against Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority.

Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said this in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement extended the threat of sanctions to anyone paying the fees, saying they may be providing support to and receiving services from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and therefore may be exposed to sanctions risk.

“The Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash.

“Treasury has deprived the Iranian regime of revenue for their weapons programs, terrorist proxies, and nuclear ambitions,” Bessent said.

Bessent added that the US has succeeded in disrupting tens of billions of dollars’ worth of revenue from being accessible to Tehran.

Headline

US Launches New Airstrikes On Iran

Published

5 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States has launched new airstrikes in southern Iran.

The strike shot down four one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz and then a ground control site.

A US official revealed that American forces struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone.

The official described the strikes as purely defensive, saying the US intended to maintain the ceasefire.

Report says this is the second time in three days that the US has carried out self-defense strikes against Iranian military targets in southern Iran.

Recall that on Monday the US carried out airstrikes against Iranian missile locations and boats that US Central Command said were preparing to launch mines in the Strait of Hormuz.