On Tuesday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, circulated a document claiming the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had lifted its visa restriction on Nigerian travellers.
Shortly after, he deleted this message and posted another statement distancing the federal government from the claim.
Via his X account, Onanuga faulted his own statement, saying, “UAE has not resumed visa issuance to Nigerians. The document in circulation is not authorised either by the Nigerian government or the UAE.”
The development drew condemnation from Nigerians, who had earlier relied on the document he shared after President Bola Tinubu returned from the UAE.
That document partly read, “The government of Nigeria and the government of the United Arab Emirates are delighted to announce a pivotal development in our diplomatic relations: the resumption of visa services for Nigerian citizens wishing to visit the UAE, commencing on 4th March 2024.
“This agreement is the culmination of extensive dialogues between the two nations, highlighting a shared vision for enhanced cooperation and mutual growth.
“To facilitate a smooth visa application journey for Nigerians, the UAE has introduced an innovative document verification process.”
AJURI NGELALE LIED BEFORE
On September 11, 2023, Ajuri Ngelale, media aide to Tinubu, issued a statement alleging the UAE lifted the visa ban.
This statement also came after Tinubu visited the emirate to meet Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE president, to discuss both countries’ bilateral relations.
The UAE issued a statement after the meeting and made no mention of lifting the ban. As Onanuga backtracked on Tuesday, the presidency also backtracked after Ngelale’s claim.
Between September 2023 and March 2024, the presidency has lied twice about the UAE lifting its visa ban on Nigeria.
In October 2022, the UAE banned citizens from approximately 20 African countries from coming in.
