They highlighted Tuggar’s remarks, quoting him as saying: “It will be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria. We have enough problems of our own.”

A coalition of Nigerian civil society organisations under the banner of the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign has expressed strong support for the Nigerian government’s refusal to accept deported Venezuelans from the United States, calling the move “an affront to human dignity and international law.”

In a joint press statement signed by several activists and group leaders, the campaign praised the firm stance of the Nigerian government and particularly the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, who had earlier disclosed the US government's attempt to deport Venezuelan prisoners to Nigeria.

The statement was e-signed by several activists, namely Gerald O. Katchy, National Secretary, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights; Dimeji Macaulay, Coordinator, Anti-Fascist Movement; Blessing Yusuf, Chairperson, Federation of Informal Workers of Nigeria (FIWON); Charles A. Chibuike, Executive Director, Committed Advocates of Integrity Initiative (CADII) and Abiodun Emmanuel Fayemi, Head, African Farmers and Agricultural Practitioners (AFAP).

"The Venezuela Solidarity Campaign in Nigeria, a coalition of civil society, trade union, women and youth groups, commend our country for rejecting United States (US) decision to deport its Venezuelan rejects to Nigeria," the group stated.

They highlighted Tuggar’s remarks, quoting him as saying: “It will be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria. We have enough problems of our own.”

The coalition described the US action as a clear violation of international law, stressing that "Nigeria, like many nations committed to justice and non-interference, stands with the people of Venezuela and affirms the importance of respecting their sovereign leadership and the principles of mutual respect among nations."

"The US attempts to deport Venezuelans to Nigeria are a violation of international laws and against human dignity. We also condemn the vicious attacks on immigrants by the Trump administration," they added.

They further applauded the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs “for its firm and principled stand against the insulting demand that Nigeria accepts people being tossed out of the US,” noting that such actions “uphold Nigeria’s sovereignty” and reflect the nation’s “long-standing commitment to international law, diplomatic ethics, and global justice.”

The campaign insisted that Nigeria has no legal or diplomatic obligation to accept such deportees.

"Nigeria has no bilateral arrangement that warrants receiving deportees or prisoners who are neither its citizens nor have legal ties to the country or even the African continent. We call on all African countries to reject the neo-colonial world order the troubled Trump administration want to impose on our universe," the groups said.

Warning against future attempts, the groups declared, "We also affirm that any US attempt to offload Venezuelan citizens unto Nigeria shall be resisted."

They also condemned US sanctions on Venezuela, urging respect for the country's democratic leadership.

The coalition said, "We equally use this medium to urge the US and its key political actors, including President Donald Trump and his allies — to respect the sovereign will of the Venezuelan people by lifting its illegal sanctions on Venezuela and allowing the democratically elected government of President Nicolás Maduro to carry out its electoral mandate. The American establishment should know that any move to delegitimise a democratically elected government undermines global stability and sets a dangerous precedent."

The statement went on to criticise Washington’s broader migration policies, saying, "It is also because the US regime headed by Donald Trump doesn't want to recognise President Nicolas Maduro as the President of Venezuela that is made (sic) the US to send Venezuelans deportees across the world. We are sure that President Maduro will gladly welcome any Venezuelan deported from the US or any other country."

They also alleged that the “US regime had begun this shameful act in March 2025 when it deported over three hundred Venezuelans to El Salvador and bribed El Salvador’s government led by President, Nayib Bukele with six million dollars."

Describing these actions as "the new human slavery," the campaign called for global resistance, saying, "This is the new human slavery that we must all reject as humans. We call on Nigerians and people around the world to reject these Neo-fascist, neo-colonial and inhuman attacks on human dignity and freedom."

Earlier, the Nigerian government accused the US of attempting to get the African country to accept deported Venezuelan prisoners.

The Nigerian government stated that it would reject such a move, noting that it had its problems and bringing them in was unrealistic.

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