President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has joined the global community in mourning the death of Pope Francis, describing him as a “humble servant of God” and “a guiding light for millions” whose life was defined by mercy, justice, and love for humanity.

In a solemn tribute issued on Monday, Tinubu said the Pope’s death, coming shortly after Easter, “is a sacred return to his Maker at a time of renewed hope for Christians.”

“Today, with a heavy heart, I join the Catholic faithful and Christians worldwide in mourning the passing of Pope Francis,” the President stated. “He was a humble servant of God, tireless champion of the poor, and guiding light for millions.”

President Tinubu praised the late pontiff’s legacy as a spiritual leader who consistently gave voice to the voiceless and remained steadfast in his call for justice, compassion, and environmental responsibility.

“In 2013, he stepped onto the global stage with a message of mercy,” Tinubu recalled, “urging us to see the face of Christ in the marginalised, the refugees, the migrants, and the forgotten.”

He noted that Pope Francis “challenged the powerful to act with justice, called nations to welcome the stranger, and reminded us that our common home—this Earth—is a gift we must protect for future generations.”

The Nigerian leader also commended the Pope’s efforts in building unity across religious and social divides

According to the death certificate released on Monday,by the Vatican,Pope Francis died of a stroke, causing a coma and “irreversible” heart failure.

The 88-year-old Catholic leader died on Monday morning, almost a month after being discharged from five weeks in hospital with double pneumonia.

The cause of Pope Francis’ death has been identified as a stroke, followed by a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.

The Director of the Directorate of Health and Hygiene of the Vatican City State, Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, issued the official certification, and the Holy See Press Office released the report on Monday evening.

According to the medical report, the Pope had a prior history of acute respiratory failure caused by multimicrobial bilateral pneumonia, multiple bronchiectases, high blood pressure, and Type II diabetes.

His death was confirmed through electrocardiographic thanatography. “I hereby declare,” wrote Dr. Arcangeli, “that the causes of death, to the best of my knowledge and judgment, are as stated above.”

AFP

By

Ayobami Adedeji Current Events 2025-04-21

The US government is set to deport 3,690 Nigerians who are considered to be residing in the country illegally.

The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said it has identified 3,690 Nigerians among the 1.4 million “illegal migrants” with deportation orders.

A document obtained by Fox News from ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and published on Tuesday showed that the immigrants have been on ICE’s non-detained docket with final orders of removal since 24 November 2024.

The non-detained docket includes people who have been ordered to leave the US or are in the process of being deported but are not being held by ICE.

According to a report by Fox News, there are more than 7 million people currently on this list, including those held in federal, state, or local jails but not directly in ICE custody.

Those held by ICE are placed on the detained docket.

With 3,690 individuals, Nigeria has the second-highest number of citizens slated for deportation in Africa, following Somalia, which has 4,090. Ghana has the third highest number.

Globally, the list is topped by nationals from Mexico with 252,044, Guatemala with 253,413, Honduras with 261,651, and El Salvador with 203,822.

Other countries on the list include China, with 37,908 individuals facing final removal orders, Haiti with 32,363, Iran with 2,618, Pakistan with 776, Uzbekistan with 975, and Venezuela with 22,749.

Trump’s immigration policy

President Donald Trump has intensified his efforts to crack down on immigration, building on his campaign pledge to execute “the largest deportation in American history.”

Since his inauguration on 20 January, the Trump-led administration has overseen the arrest of over 3,500 undocumented immigrants across the United States, carried out by ICE.

Deportation flights have commenced, with US military aircraft transporting migrants to their home countries or other designated nations. The move has been criticised by Democrats and rights groups in the US who accuse the government of violating due process and human rights in the deportations. Some of the foreign governments involved have also criticised the operation. The Colombian government initially refused to accept some of its deported citizens after accusing the US of mistreating them and treating them like criminals. It accused the US government of placing them in handcuffs and conveying them in military aircraft. Colombia later reversed its decision after it was threatened with tariffs by President Trump.

According to estimates from the Pew Research Center, there are approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, a country with a population of 341 million.

Cooperation from foreign countries

The ICE document noted that the “US Government believes every country is obligated to accept the return of its citizens and nationals who are ineligible to remain in the United States.”

It stated that a lack of cooperation from the foreign government delays and inhibits the removal process.

“The US Government requests foreign governments take appropriate steps to confirm the citizenship of noncitizens suspected to be their nationals, which include conducting interviews, issuing travel documents in a timely manner, and accepting the physical return of their nationals by scheduled commercial or charter flights consistent with ICE and/or foreign government removal guidelines.

“Lack of cooperation from countries in accepting the return of their nationals may lead to ICE classifying those countries as uncooperative or at-risk of non-compliance,” the document reads

By

Ayobami Adedeji Current Events 2025-01-31