Claim: A Facebook user claimed President Bola Tinubu blocked a deportation flight from the United States from landing in Nigeria.
Verdict: The claim is false. While some countries have resisted accepting deportation flights, no credible news report or evidence confirms President Bola Tinubu blocked any such flights from landing due to impromptu scheduling.
Full Text
Following former U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order to deport undocumented immigrants, the first wave of deportations primarily targeted individuals with prior removal orders or criminal records.
In early 2017, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began conducting large-scale raids, leading to the deportation of hundreds of migrants, particularly from Latin America. Countries like Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras saw a surge in returnees, prompting diplomatic tensions as some leaders pushed back against what they saw as abrupt and aggressive enforcement measures.
A similar pattern has emerged under Trump’s 2025 administration, with mass deportations resuming amid heightened immigration crackdowns. Colombia, for instance, experienced a mass deportation that led to a diplomatic dispute between the U.S. and Colombia when President Gustavo Petro initially rejected deportation flights. However, Petro later reversed his decision after Trump imposed a 25% tariff on Colombian goods and threatened further sanctions.
Drawing a parallel to this case, a Facebook account @Express shared a post claiming President Bola Tinubu has blocked a US deportation flight from landing.
“Tinubu blocks U.S. deportation flight from landing in Nigeria over lack of timely notice – ‘Take them back,’ he declares. U.S. deportation plane stuck in the air for 23 hours, waiting for landing licence as Tinubu refuses approval, vows to deny entry,” the post reads.
The post, shared on Jan. 28, 2025, had 19 likes, four comments, and six shares as of Feb. 22, 2025. Similar claims have been shared here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Although this claim was not widely viral, it emerged amid a trend of similar misinformation following Trump’s executive order on undocumented immigrants. Given the sensitivity of deportation issues, DUBAWA checked.
Verification
Using specific keywords from the claim, DUBAWA searched for possible reports or claims that affirmed what the Facebook account shared but found none. Instead, the search led to more links where the claim was similarly made. See here, here, and here.
No credible news sources or official government statements supported the allegation that President Bola Tinubu blocked a U.S. deportation flight from landing in Nigeria.
Unlike the Colombian case, which received extensive international media coverage, no reputable outlets reported a similar incident involving Nigeria when the claim was made. Given the diplomatic significance of such an action, it would have been widely covered if true.
However, subsequent reports confirmed that 85 Nigerians deported from the US arrived in Lagos on Feb. 17, 2025. These individuals were among the 3,690 Nigerians identified for deportation amid President Trump’s 2025 crackdown on undocumented migrants.
The Nigerian government has since expressed concerns about the process, rooting for a more structured approach. Despite these deportations, no evidence remains that President Tinubu blocked U.S. deportation flights.
Conclusion
The claim that President Bola Tinubu blocked a U.S. deportation flight from landing in Nigeria is false. No evidence supports this allegation, and no credible news reports confirm the event.