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US revokes Wole Soyinka’s visa, nobel laureate expresses surprise

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Wole Soyinka

Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, on Tuesday announced that the United States of America has revoked his visa, making his entry into the country impossible for now.

Soyinka disclosed this during a media parley held at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island, saying he was unaware of any wrongdoing that could have warranted the revocation.

“It is necessary for me to hold this conference so that people in the United States who are expecting me for this event or that event do not waste their time.

“I have no visa; I am banned, obviously, from the United States. And if you want to see me, you know where to find me,” he told journalists.

The reason for the visa revocation remains unclear, as Soyinka himself said he was still in the dark about it.

In recent times, the US government has taken steps to curb the influx of migrants into the country.

According to Soyinka, the US Consulate informed him of the revocation in a letter dated October 23, 2025.

“This letter serves as official notification by the United States Consulate General in Lagos that the nonimmigrant visa listed below has been revoked pursuant to the authority contained in U.S. Department of State regulations,” part of the letter, shown to our correspondent by Soyinka, read.

The letter was issued by the NIV Section of the Consulate.

The Nobel Laureate expressed confusion over the development, saying, “I’m still looking into my past history… I don’t have any past criminal record or even a felony or misdemeanour to qualify for the revocation.

“I’ve started looking back—have I ever misbehaved toward the United States of America? Do I have a history? Have I been convicted? Have I gone against the law anywhere?”

PM News had earlier reported on September 10, 2025, that Soyinka said he would not honour an invitation by the US Consulate in Nigeria for a visa re-interview, which was scheduled for Thursday, September 11.

He made this known in an interview with the medium while reacting to the recent invitation sent by the American Consulate to Nigerians holding B1/B2 visas, asking them to appear for what it called a “visa interview.”

Soyinka’s visa is classified as B1/B2—a temporary, non-immigrant visa for travel to the United States for business (B-1) or tourism (B-2).

“I would like to begin by stressing the fact that, for me, this is not a personal issue. I have no idea how you got to know. By the way, I also received the letter, which at first I thought was fake. I thought it came from scammers who prey on those eager to get visas elsewhere, promising to deliver them for a certain amount. I thought they had simply picked my name among others, knowing there was a list of invitees.

“So, at first, I thought it was advance-fee fraud because I had never received that kind of letter from that or any other embassy. I even thought that maybe AI had been generating generic letters. It was very strange.

“So, by the time I came to terms with the fact that the letter was genuine, my mind went to my relationship with individual ambassadors, Consuls General, and Cultural Attachés. As you know, it has always been a courteous relationship,” Soyinka told PM News in September.

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EFCC evicts Malami from Abuja home amid forfeiture dispute

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Former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami says Economic and Financial Crimes Commission operatives forcefully evicted him and his family from their Abuja residence despite ongoing court proceedings over the property’s forfeiture.
He described the action as unlawful and vowed to challenge it in court.

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Fuel price hike: Gov Makinde announces N10,000 transport support for workers

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The governor of Oyo state, Seyi Makinde, has approved a N10,000 transportation allowance as a palliative for the state workforce to cushion the effects of the increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petrol.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Oyo State chapter, Kayode Martins, in a statement released on Monday, March 23, disclosed that the governor has granted the request of the union on the issue of transportation allowance.

The statement read

“Following the intervention and formal request made by the State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) earlier this morning, the state government has approved a N10,000 transportation allowance for all workers in the state.

The newly approved allowance is set to take effect from April 2026, providing much-needed relief to workers grappling with rising transportation costs amid current economic challenges.

This development comes as a direct response to sustained advocacy by the state NLC, aimed at cushioning the impact of increased living expenses on the workforce.

Further details on implementation are expected to be communicated by the relevant government authorities in due course.”

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Former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation bags 72years imprisonment for diverting N868.46 million security funds

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Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, March 23, convicted and sentenced Chukwunyere Nwabuoku, former acting Accountant-General of the Federation (AGoF), to a 72-year jail term without an option of fine.

DailyTrust reports that in the judgment delivered, Justice Omotosho held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had been able to prove the nine-count money laundering charge beyond reasonable doubt.

According to the judge, the defendant is hereby convicted as charged.

Justice Omotosho convicted Nwabuoku in all the nine counts and sentenced him to eight years imprisonment in each of the counts, making 72 years.

The judge, however, ordered that the counts shall run concurrently.

Justice Omotosho, who described Nwabuoku’s act of diverting funds meant for security and defence while he served as Director of Finance and Account in the Ministry of Defence as “appalling,” commended the EFCC for being detailed in its prosecution.

The judge observed that the evidence of the 9th prosecution witness that Nwabuoku voluntarily refunded part of the siphoned money of over N200 million during investigation was not controverted by the defence.

Nwabuoku served as the Director of Finance and Accounts in the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021. He became acting Accountant General of the Federation in May 2022.

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