Since the Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab failed underwear bomb attack on North West Delta Airline in Detroit on December 25, 2009, the United States has adopted stringent measures to on its visa issuance procedures and policy, thereby making it a matter of providence to gain access to the document.

Notable among tough measures were the introduction of the Consular Lookout and Support System, CLASS, and the State Department controlled Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment, TIDE, and other technology assisted method of cross checking the background identities and profile of the prospective visa applicants to determine if there are incriminating information about such applicants.

According to a source: "These databases allow a number of U.S. government agencies to make input into the back ground check on visa applicants and decision on the visa issuance process".

For instance, CLASS is tied into the Interagency Border Inspection System, IBIS. The US has also introduced what is called the Diplomatic Security Service, DSS, which is charged with identifying documentation fraud, such as cases of stolen identities, tampering with US passport, false declarations etc. Vanguard learnt that agents have since been has long assigned to Nigeria to investigate cases of passport and visa fraud.

The source added: "The idea of sending DSS to Nigeria came after the Abdulmutallab episode; of course, one of the charges preferred against him was that he conspired with other people at large to come into America to kill Americans, so if you want to come to the US to become a threat to its citizens, the best thing would be to stop you in your country."

President Obama was very upset and embarrassed that the Abdulmutallab incident that on U.S. January 7, 2010. He outlined a set of new policies in response to the Abdulmutallab incident as the Department of Homeland Securities had to tighten things up a bit and unfortunately, it is the innocent people that are bearing the brunt.

Before the January reforms, the US had introduced what it called the "Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004," under which the Congress ordered the State Department to establish a visa and passport security programme in its missions abroad including Nigeria which was singled out for special attention as far back as 2006 and later declared as a country of interest in terrorist activities in 2009.

With the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, the Congress equally mandated the State Department to establish a visa and passport security programmers overseas.

Diplomatic community

On assumption of office the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Olugbenga Ashiru, had told members of the diplomatic community that Nigeria will observe the principle of reciprocity in the conduct of foreign policy and diplomatic practice, but efforts to speak with the Minister and the Ministry was frustrated when officials of the Ministry resorted to the well known red tape to avoid the media, even in the era of FOIA.

An official of the Ministry told Vanguard that government official the lack of political will to make good their threats and boasts when it comes defending the interest of the country and its citizens, especially when these countries threaten to expose them.

Vanguard learnt that the Minister specifically instructed officials of the Ministry to frustrate all media enquiries by requesting that it must be formally written and directed to the Minister; thereafter the letter is tossed around until it ends up in the morgue called research and documentation.

The adoption of this tactics by the Ministry is likened to pre-1914 era when diplomatic practice was shrouded in secrecy. This is anathema to the Wilson Woodrow doctrine of open diplomacy which is in tandem with democratic practice.

It is the method reserved for such secretive states like North Korea and failed Soviet Union.

Sources said "the increased presence of DHS officers at Consular posts has increased cost of personnel and administration of visa in Nigeria and it is doubtful prevent people who want to commit malevolent acts in the United States."

Diplomatic sources said that "the problem in the Abdulmutallab case was not in the issuance of his visa in 2004 but borne out of bungling of intelligence when the CIA mishandled the interview of Abdulmutallab's father when he walked into the embassy in November 2009 to report that his son had become radicalized and that he feared his son was preparing for a suicide mission."

The source said "the CIA did not share the information gleaned from that interview in a terrorism report cable (TERREP) and there was no follow up, so why should the Americans want to punish Nigerians for the ineptitude of their security agencies?"

The adding of another layer of DHS involvement in overseeing visa issuance and investigating visa fraud at diplomatic posts abroad is simply not going to assist in the flow of information in visa cases, whether criminal or terrorist in nature, rather, having another U.S. law enforcement agency interfacing with the host country police and security agencies regarding visa matters will only serve to cause confusion and hamper efficient information flow"

http://allafrica.com/stories/201202220747.html

Abokis and their wahala.

A friend of mine was victim of this, he has to go through Administrative processing for 6 months before they issue him VISA.

This silver spoon boy has jeopardized his own future. I pity ur mama ooo

I said it before, once u have a Muslim name in your Nigeria passport forget Yankee/Britain and the rest of them,this Hausa people have finish the country i don't care how you see me you people should just leave us alone and join chad or something

Mutallab is the most stupid Nigerian i ever know of, and i don't blame the oyibo people for trying to protect their own.

Da infamous:

I said it before, once u have a Muslim name in your Nigeria passport forget Yankee/Britain and the rest of them,this Hausa people have finish the country i don't care how you see me you people should just leave us alone and join chad or something

@Da infamous

You said the right thing. Let the North leave Nigeria and join Chad. Is it a must for hem to hang in here? Terrorist.

I cannot figure out one good thing from the north?
Always dragging us backward & just to collect OIL MONEY.

andyanders:

@Da infamous

You said the right thing. Let the North leave Nigeria and join Chad. Is it a must for hem to hang in here? Terrorist.

they got to go, so that the rest of the country will have peace,for how many yrs now that country don carry too much bad bad name

Da infamous:

I said it before, once u have a Muslim name in your Nigeria passport forget Yankee/Britain and the rest of them,this Hausa people have finish the country i don't care how you see me you people should just leave us alone and join chad or something

ehen if u have a muslim name u can change ur name to jack or sarah abi?

lefulefu:

ehen if u have a muslim name u can change ur name to jack or sarah abi?

for real Muslim i dont think they will do that but they have brought wahala to themselves,

Da infamous:

I said it before, once u have a Muslim name in your Nigeria passport forget Yankee/Britain and the rest of them,this Hausa people have finish the country i don't care how you see me you people should just leave us alone and join chad or something

You are on the right point but the only thing is that they will change their name to Christain names. Did you see or heard how Isrealis changed their name to Arabic name and went to Dubai to kill some people in hotel there. But thank God that most North Nigeria faces are way different from South Nigeria. I mean the complesion.

you might be right but with the new Nigerian passport their finger print will give them away.

OvieE:




You are on the right point but the only thing is that they will change their name to Christain names. Did you see or heard how Isrealis changed their name to Arabic name and went to Dubai to kill some people in hotel there. But thank God that most North Nigeria faces are way different from South Nigeria. I mean the complesion.

I don't think this would affect Muslims more than Christians, as all Nigerians are viewed as corrupt individuals and guilty until proven innocent. I can definitely assure you that if you have your money, you will get into the United States with no problem, it's only those that don't follow due protocol that ends up suffering. Our people have abused their privileges over the years, now things are tighter, it's either you do things the right way or be denied.

Tougher measures are still to come for holders of green passport

This is sad.I remember on a trip from Heathrow to J.F.K,I was specifically singled out for a security check before I boarded along with a Pakistani.This never happened before that spoilt brat tried to blow up a plane.This is now a new reality for all Nigerians travelling to the United States.

abbey621:

I don't think this would affect Muslims more than Christians, as all Nigerians are viewed as corrupt individuals and guilty until proven innocent. I can definitely assure you that if you have your money, you will get into the United States with no problem, it's only those that don't follow due protocol that ends up suffering. Our people have abused their privileges over the years, now things are tighter, it's either you do things the right way or be denied.

Which way is the right way?

1

Ok o,, The Boy Deserved what he got,,  Hmm Am I suppose to change my name to Peter Or Pete ?,  Damn [size=38pt]I`M NOT A TERRORIST AND I AM A MUSLIM ABEG NAU ?  [/size]

   Well they have every right to protect their country, we failed to do this when alqaeda Or Alquida  and its useless members came to the north to preach Sh!ts to this Animals, I Guess i`ll just stay here and not Travel Abroad Anymore Since I`m A Muslim And I Am From NORTH can you Imagine ??,  ! #Smh


This Isnt Good  At All   

Sprumbaba:

All my Muslim friends undergo extra wahala at the airport all the time. So, they always get to the airport 4 hours before departure time so as not miss their flight.

And they dont see anything wrong with it by being single out in the airport,to be honest if i am in the same flight with a man with big beard and a woman dress like batman and Robbins,i will leave the flight i don't mind, 

He has ruined his future

,@Da infamous

I can see that you are missing America so much. I am so sorry for your condition - a slave for ever.

i don't need visa to travel to america so you can tell me more about immigration in the airport always taking you through the back for questions

The US might just be wasting their time with all these additional security bottlenecks. The terrorist networks will not go and use a poor boy from my village to attack them because they know they will check and double check. I will not be surprised if one day someone with a christian name tries to detonate or bomb any of their interests. The terrorists networks are becoming more difficult to handle by the day, tightening the noose around visas will not be the only solution, ok, what will they do to people already in their country who become radicalized? Or any of their citizens who decides to become an accomplice.

The U.S. government LOVES to throw big-sounding technology and strategy at issues to cover up their own gross incompetence! They had enough warning about Abdulmutallab to stop him but their tangled bureaucracy got in the way! Until they solve this fundamental problem, nothing will change.

Also the current suicide crisis in Nigeria!

I can't imagine losing my sweet life, Abdulmutalab is a small goat.

Abokis sha

chuks49:

Abokis and their wahala.

Southerners and their 419, yahoo-yahoo and kidnapping wahala

Da infamous:

I said it before, once u have a Muslim name in your Nigeria passport forget Yankee/Britain and the rest of them,this Hausa people have finish the country i don't care how you see me you people should just leave us alone and join chad or something

How? Is this the corruption that is running this country?

Da infamous:

they got to go, so that the rest of the country will have peace,for how many yrs now that country don carry too much bad bad name

When Colin Powell and Oprah Winfrey said Nigerians were fraudulent, you think it was due to Boko Haram
You had enough bad name before this. Your yahoo-yahoo, scamming already assured that!

BTW did Dangote school or work abroad?. People are making it look like one is finished without visiting the US