By Pascal Ibe
Introduction
In October 2022, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) implemented a significant visa ban on Nigerian citizens, which deeply impacted travel between the two nations. This move was part of a broader restriction affecting nationals from approximately 20 African countries, including Ghana, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Cameroon, Liberia, Burundi, and others.
The primary catalyst for this ban was a strained diplomatic and financial relationship between Nigeria and the UAE. A major point of contention was the issue of trapped funds belonging to Emirates Airlines in Nigeria. Emirates suspended its flight operations to Nigeria in October 2022, citing an inability to repatriate approximately $85 million in earnings from the country.
Again, on 9th July, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) introduced a new round of visa restrictions for Nigerian nationals, less than a year after both countries resolved a long-standing diplomatic rift over visa issuance.
Effective immediately, Nigerian travellers between the ages of 18 and 45 are no longer eligible to apply for tourist visas unless accompanied by a sponsor or unless they meet newly defined conditions. In addition, transit visa applications by Nigerian nationals have been suspended entirely, effectively barring stopovers in the UAE for onward travel.
Claim
Reacting to this, a Facebook user, Ambrose Nwaogwugwu published a video showing young men with machetes wreaking havoc in the neighbourhood at night. They broke the side windows of a car, destroyed other properties, chased after innocent residents, and generally disturbed the peace in the quiet neighbourhood.
Nwaogwugwu posted the video and claimed it was a result of cult activities by Nigerians, which led the UAE authorities to impose tough visa restrictions for Nigerian travelers recently.
The Facebook user wrote, “If you are still asking why Dubai tightened their visa against Nigeria,
“Ask no more!
“These are your compatriots in Dubai and UAE doing cultism….
“Full grown people,
“Some of them their parents sold lands for them to travel but they started doing cultism and constituting imbecilic nuisance in another man’s country.
“Shame!
The Facebook post, which had already garnered many reactions, received comments from people who believed that the video was recent and this was the reason for the UAE’s new visa tough policy against Nigerian travellers.
Verification
First, FACTWATCH Nigeria subjected keyframes from the video that a Google Image Reverse Search and discovered that this video first appeared online in July 2022.
The video was shared on the X platform, YouTube, in July 2022, with social media posts and blogs suggesting that the video depicts cult activities by Nigerians in Dubai.
However, official statements from UAE authorities in 2022 and credible news organizations in Nigeria or internationally, corroborated this claim that cultism in the country by Nigerians was one of the reasons for the visa ban.
On the recent visa policy for Nigerians by the UAE, reports noted that the imposition of more stringent conditions for Nigerians visiting Dubai didn’t come with any reason from the UAE.
Verdict
The video showing cult activities by Nigerians in Dubai as reason behind the new tough visa restrictions for Nigerian travelers is MISLEADING. Findings have indicated that this video is three years old and NOT recent.
