“Our resolve to fight corruption will not spare anyone” — US Mission warns Nigerian politicians

The United States Mission in Nigeria has vowed to bar corrupt, high-profile individuals from entering the country, declaring that its commitment to fighting graft extends beyond borders. In a statement on X, the Mission warned that influential figures involved in corruption will be denied U.S. visas, stressing that accountability has no limits.

The announcement came as Reform UK set out plans to abolish the right of migrants to apply for permanent settlement in Britain after five years if it wins the next election. At present, migrants can secure Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after five years, granting them the right to live, work, and study in the UK permanently, as well as access certain welfare benefits.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the party’s immigration overhaul was aimed at stopping Britain from becoming “the world’s food bank,” insisting welfare should be for citizens only. Under the new policy, ILR would be scrapped and replaced with visas requiring migrants to reapply every five years under tougher conditions, including higher salary thresholds and stronger English skills.

The party also pledged to block non-citizens from accessing welfare, claiming the measures could save £234 billion over several decades. Chancellor Rachel Reeves dismissed the figures as unrealistic, noting that the government was already consulting on extending the ILR qualification period from five to 10 years.

Official data from July showed that 213,666 people with ILR were claiming Universal Credit. Reform UK argues that without urgent reforms, hundreds of thousands of migrants who arrived under Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit rules—dubbed the “Boris wave”—will soon qualify for permanent residency.