Kenny Okolugbo, the consultant on Communication and Strategy to the Office of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has criticised the recent blacklisting of Nigerians by the United States, insisting there is no evidence linking any Nigerian to terrorist attacks on American soil.
Okolugbo made the remarks on Thursday while reacting to the development during an appearance on Channels Television.
"Yes, we have our own internal crisis. We have Boko Haram, we have ISWAP, and we have killings in the North," he said. "But the truth is that we have not had any Nigerian who has carried out terrorist activities in the United States."
His remarks followed a recent decision by U.S. authorities to place Nigeria among countries facing tighter visa scrutiny and restrictions, citing concerns over visa overstays, immigration compliance, and security risk assessments.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
Addressing concerns over visa abuse, Okolugbo acknowledged that some Nigerians had overstayed their B1 and B2 visas but argued that the actions of a few should not be used to stigmatise the entire country.
"I have been to the United States of America ten times, and all the times I've travelled, I've never extended my stay beyond three weeks," he said. "So, if you, as a Nigerian, decide to abuse the privilege of the B1 and B2, it gives us a bad light."
However, he stressed that the scale of the abuse was minimal, noting that even the United States had acknowledged this.
"But if you look at the percentage, the US has agreed that it is about five per cent, and five per cent is negligible," he said.
He argued that security considerations often used to justify blacklisting decisions do not apply to Nigeria, insisting there is no record of Nigerians carrying out terrorist activities in the United States.
"So if they decide to blacklist us, there is no Nigerian that we know of that has carried out any terrorist attack in America," he said.
While acknowledging that Nigeria is facing internal security challenges, Okolugbo emphasised that these issues should not be used to portray the country as a global security threat.
