News

US revokes Wole Soyinka’s visa

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

During a media parley at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island, Soyinka said that 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 23 October 2025, 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as official notification by the United States Consulate General in Lagos that the nonimmigrant visa listed below has been revoked pursuant to the authority contained in U.S. Department of State regulations’, part of the letter, shown to our correspondent by Soyinka, read.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 10 September 2025, 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.

News

Maryam Sanda removed from Tinubu’s pardon list

The name of Maryam Sanda sentenced to death in 2020 for the culpable homicide of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, has been removed from the pardon list by President Bola Tinubu.

This was contained in a statement by the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga on Wednesday.

Onanuga noted that President Tinubu was exercising his constitutional powers of prerogative of mercy as captured under Section 175(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

He stressed that the new list came about after consultations with the Council of State and the public opinion and signing of all relevant instruments necessary to formalise the updated list of beneficiaries.

According to the statement, Tinubu ordered the removal of individuals convicted of severe crimes, including kidnapping, drug offenses, human trafficking, fraud, and illegal firearms possession or trafficking, from the list.

Also, those who were previously pardoned on the old list have had their sentences reduced.

News

Fresh list of 34 persons granted clemency by President Tinubu released

A new list of those granted clemency by President Bola Tinubu has emerged from the Presidency.

The list contained about 15 Nigerians pardoned by the Tinubu administration.

Another four persons, whose death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment and fifteen others granted clemency, were also listed

Pardon:

1. Mrs Anastasia Daniel Nwaobia
2. Barr. Hussaini Alhaji Umar
3. Ayinla Saadu Alanamu
4. Hon. Farouk M. Lawan
5. Herbert Macaulay
6. Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa
7. Ken Saro Wiwa
8. Saturday Dobee
9. Nordu Eawo
10. Daniel Gbooko
11. Paul Levera
12. Felix Nuale
13. Baribor Bera
14. Barinem Kiobel
15. John Kpuine

From death sentences to life imprisonment:

1. Emmanuel Baba
2. Abubakar Usman
3. Khalifa Umar
4. Mohammed Umar

Clemency:

1. Oroka Michael Chibueze
2. Adesanya Olufemi Paul
3. Daniel Bodunwa
4. Hamza Abubakar
5. Buhari Sani
6. Mohammed Musa
7. Muharazu Abubakar
8. Ibrahim Yusuf
9. Saad Ahmed Madaki
10. Ex-Corporal Michael Bawa
11. Richard Ayuba
12. Adam Abubakar
13. Emmanuel Yusuf
14. Chinedu Stanley
15. Johnny Ntheru Udor

News

Anambra election: Violence won’t be tolerated – NSA warns

The National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, has issued a stern warning to politicians and stakeholders against violence in the November 8, 2025 Anambra governorship election.

The NSA warned that violence won’t be tolerated.

Ribadu gave the warning on Tuesday at the meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, held at INEC Headquarters, Abuja.

Represented by the Director of Internal Security, Hassan Abdullahi, the NSA reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government to ensure a peaceful and secure environment for the poll.

He charged political parties and candidates to promote peace and discourage violence before, during, and after the exercise.

“We are engaging with political leaders and local stakeholders to send a clear message that violence will not be tolerated,” he said.

According to him, the Office of the NSA is committed to implementing President Bola Tinubu’s directive on the strategic mobilization of security forces during the electoral period.

He further stated that enhanced surveillance, deployment of adequate security personnel, and improved intelligence gathering have been put in place to prevent any attempt by destructive elements or desperate politicians to undermine the electoral process.