Tag: World

Nigerians are currently reacting to a trending video of a Lagos-based clergyman, Pastor Poju Oyemade, saying that Nigerians are being programmed to hate their country.

 While preaching in his church, the cleric opined that living  conditions and operating businesses in Nigeria is better when compared to the US.

In his words

‘’People are being programmed to hate their country which is ‘self hatred’. I was in America and I sat down with some Nigerians and they started. I told them that in Nigeria, a person will graduate as a medical doctor and spend N500, 000 throughout to become a doctor and they are working. You will graduate from John Hopkins as a doctor and you spend $2000, are you okay? Do you know how much money you will spend?

I said to them in Nigeria, if you tell a Nigerian to do two jobs he will curse your life out. He will come to America, wake up in the morning, do first job, do second job, do Uber…I said if they put the fraction of this energy they put here in their country, they would have blown. They kept quiet”

He recounted how one of the branches of his church in Yaba organized a tradefair and how some of the church members made great returns. He argued that such people would not have made such great returns if the tradefair were to have been organized in the US.

‘’Yaba did a tradefair for church members to sell things. They just put tents in the car park. I thought it was a waste of time. One lady came to meet the pastor and said thank you for doing this. She was selling wigs. Somebody came out from the church and bought three wigs. Each wig is N250, 000. That business is not registered. N750, 000 that girl carried home. If somebody is in their house and just selling wigs, are they unemployed? But are they registered as employed? No! Our statistics here is different. Understand your terrain.

In Ameriac, you will sell like that? IRS is coming for you! Out of that N750, 000, N200, 000 belongs to the government. Don’t drop it, you will see jail. Understand your terrain so you will know how to play.

This is Nigeria, the land of opportunity where good cometh! Leave all this people saying Nigeria happened to them. What are you talking about?

In America, there are four people groups doing better than Caucasians. Nigerian-American are number two”

His comment has been greeted with mixed reaction from Nigerians. While some Nigerians agree with him, others were against.

Watch the video of him speaking below

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has voiced serious concern over Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, warning that the country is gradually becoming a vast national morgue due to ongoing violence and incessant killings. 

Delivering his Easter message on Sunday, April 20, Bishop Kukah lamented the deepening human suffering, describing the current reality as one marked by “a culture of brutality and savagery never witnessed in the history of our dear country.”

Using the metaphor of the crucifixion, Kukah illustrated the pain endured by Nigerians and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently act to save citizens from what he described as “this cross of evil.” He acknowledged that the president did not create the current crisis but stressed that Nigerians have remained “bleeding and dangling on this cross of pain and mindless suffering for far too long.”

Bishop Kukah condemned the rising tide of kidnappings, killings, and violent crimes, emphasizing that no household or community in the country remains untouched by the wave of insecurity. “A dark pall of death hangs languidly from north to south. Every day, innocent citizens are kidnapped and held under the most inhuman conditions. Nigeria is reaching a breaking point,” he warned.

He also criticized the government’s economic policies, particularly its response to hardship through palliative distributions, which he said undermines the dignity of citizens. While acknowledging the necessity of removing fuel subsidies and the resultant increase in available resources, Kukah highlighted the dangers faced by farmers, noting that farming has been among the most perilous occupations in Nigeria for more than a decade. He stressed that palliatives are not enough and called for sustainable food access and security.

The Bishop urged President Tinubu to recognize food security as a constitutional right, saying, “Make food security a constitutional right for all citizens. Mr. President, please bring us down from this painful cross of hunger.”

Despite the grim assessment, Kukah urged Nigerians to remain hopeful, reminding them of their collective duty to dispel the darkness that has enveloped the nation. “The structural deformities, iniquities, and corruption of our country must not be an excuse to lose hope. We are the light of the world, a city set on a hill. With the light of Christ, we can build a society that reflects the will of our Creator,” he said.

He concluded his Easter message with blessings for the nation and a call for renewed faith in its future. “I wish you, Mr. President, and all Nigerians, a blessed and happy Easter,” Kukah said.

Hundreds of international students are being forced to leave the United States following an aggressive crackdown on student visas by the Trump administration. 

Reports indicate that the Department of Homeland Security has intensified efforts to identify and deport students, including those who have not been charged with any crime. “Do not attempt to remain in the United States. The federal government will find you,” read an email reportedly from the Department, shared by immigration attorney Nicole Micheroni.

Immigration lawyer Dustin Baxter, who is representing more than 100 affected students in a lawsuit against the government, stated that visa revocations are happening arbitrarily. “Not only would they revoke the person’s student visa – even if there was no conviction, if there was just an arrest, and sometimes there wasn’t even an arrest, there was just an encounter and maybe a ticket – they would revoke the student visa,” Baxter said in comments to CNN.

Some students learned their visa had been revoked only after being contacted by their schools, while many institutions were also left in the dark. Stanford University reported that it discovered four of its students and two recent graduates had lost their visas only during a routine check of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database on April 4.

This marks a significant shift in policy. Traditionally, designated school officers were responsible for initiating visa revocations in SEVIS. However, according to Jeff Joseph, president-elect of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is now bypassing schools to take unilateral action.

One of the most publicized cases involved Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk, who was handcuffed and detained by immigration agents shortly after her visa was revoked without prior notification. Surveillance footage presented in court reportedly captured Öztürk “shrieking in fear and confusion” as she was taken away.

The Trump administration has defended the actions, citing legal provisions that allow visa revocations on national security or foreign policy grounds. Secretary of State Marco Rubio referenced a clause that permits the cancellation of visas if an individual’s presence poses “serious foreign policy consequences.”

A statement from the State Department asserted the government’s “broad authority” to revoke visas at any time, even after they are issued. “We continuously check visa holders… and we will revoke their visas and deport them if they don’t [follow the rules],” the agency warned.

The development has caused widespread panic among international students, with many now facing sudden detentions, deportations, and academic disruptions, even in the absence of formal charges or due process.

The United States Supreme Court has issued a dramatic late-night order blocking President Donald Trump’s controversial use of the centuries-old Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan migrants without due process. The emergency ruling, which came as the administration prepared to carry out additional deportations, halts the use of the 1798 law, last employed during World War II, to expel individuals without giving them a chance to challenge their removal in court.

The justices directed the government not to deport any members of the affected group “until further order.” Notably, two of the court’s most conservative justices dissented from the majority decision, underscoring the divisiveness of the legal maneuver.

Trump recently invoked the Alien Enemies Act to justify the deportation of Venezuelan migrants to a high-security prison in El Salvador known for housing thousands of gang members. Critics have raised alarms that this policy marks a significant overreach and may violate constitutional protections. Many of those targeted have not been charged with crimes and were reportedly identified based on vague associations or even tattoos.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which led the legal challenge, hailed the court’s intervention. “These men were in imminent danger of spending their lives in a horrific foreign prison without ever having had a chance to go to court,” said Lee Gelernt, an attorney with the ACLU.

In response, the federal government filed a motion asking the court to reconsider, insisting it should retain the authority to use the Alien Enemies Act or, at the very least, receive guidance on using alternative laws to proceed with deportations. The administration maintains that those being deported are members of violent gangs, including Tren de Aragua, which Trump has designated a terrorist organization.

The move is part of a wider crackdown by the Trump administration that includes military deployment to the southern border, trade penalties on neighboring countries, and harsh rhetoric portraying migrants as criminals. Trump’s recent actions have extended beyond immigration, targeting institutions like major law firms, universities, and independent media outlets, prompting fears of creeping authoritarianism.

The situation has also drawn international attention. In one high-profile case, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident, was deported to the CECOT prison in El Salvador under the new policy. The administration later admitted the removal was an “administrative error,” though Trump has continued to label Abrego Garcia a gang member, even sharing a manipulated image suggesting ties to MS-13.

Civil liberties groups and Democratic leaders have voiced deep concern, calling the use of the Alien Enemies Act a grave threat to constitutional rights. Trump’s supporters, however, have largely cheered the deportations, with some far-right influencers openly urging the administration to defy the court’s ruling.

As legal battles intensify and court decisions mount, the clash between executive authority and judicial oversight appears set to become a defining issue in the months leading up to the next election.

According to reports, the deputy president’s car was struck by gunfire on the windscreen multiple times during the attack. Mashatile’s spokesperson, Keith Khoza, confirmed that the deputy president was inside the vehicle when the shooting occurred. “We can confirm that there was an incident in which the car of the deputy president was hit,” Khoza said.

While early details were unclear, an expert analysis has confirmed that the impact on the vehicle’s windscreen came from bullets. “The police are best placed to respond to the question; however, I can confirm that we have a report confirming from an expert that these were bullets,” Khoza added.

Preliminary findings from the scene reportedly suggest that as many as 12 spent cartridges were recovered, though the exact number of shots has yet to be officially confirmed.

Thanks to the car’s bulletproof features, Mashatile emerged from the incident without injury. The South African Police Service, in collaboration with the Presidential Protection Unit, has launched a joint investigation into the attempted attack. While the identity and motive of the assailants remain unknown, authorities are treating the case with urgency as the investigation continues.