Foreign
I’m scared of returning home – US-based bizwoman
President of the Bini Club of Houston, United States, Lydia Aguebor, speaks on her struggles in search for greener pastures, community leadership in Houston, and why she is scared of returning to Nigeria because of the way her mother died
How will you describe your stay in the US?
I’m a mother of three beautiful children in the US. I relocated to America in 2005. When I first settled here, it was quite challenging because I left my comfort zone to come to a land where I knew nobody. Settling here came with its challenges. I came here to start from scratch. It was a lot of battles. Basically, it was tough for me in terms of job search and career. I studied Law at the University of Benin. And being in the US requires you to have licences for the things you do.
What kind of challenges did you experience?
There were only menial jobs to do in the beginning. Even, there were jobs that I didn’t get because of overqualification. When I submitted copies of my resume to some places, they would tell me I was overqualified for the job. They called it a college degree here, and I was asked to lower my qualifications. I had to do it because I needed jobs to make money. After all, bills were mounting. I started working with a fast food outlet where chickens were sold. I did that for a year. Then I worked for the State of Texas for eight years. Then, I began working on my papers. I wasn’t really happy with what I was doing. Later, I decided to start my business.
You said you didn’t like some of the things you did at scratch. What were they?
When I worked as a cashier or more or less of an attendant at a fast-food outlet, I would pass the money to another person in the inner lobby who would bring the order for me to give to the customers. I also worked as a cashier at a place called Target like a grocery store. It could be likened to ShopRite in Nigeria.
Why did you leave Nigeria in 2005?
I never worked before leaving Nigeria. I was a full-time housewife. I started coming to the US in 2002 when I was a law student at the University of Benin. Anytime I came to the US, I just loved it and dreamed of settling there. So, I came here in search of greener pastures.
What kind of business did you venture into?
I started a legal business. It started in my living room. The company was about helping people file their travel and immigration documents. When my client base was increasing, I moved on to get a place. I still couldn’t afford an office for myself. I had to pair up with someone. I only just had a chair, desk, and printer in that office. I started my business in June 2014.
What factors contributed to your business growth in the US?
The whole factor was narrowed down to the clients in my community. I knew the people I wanted to render services to. I did the feasibility study to know the kind of people to attract to my business. I started giving out fliers. My clients were mostly Nigerians, Africans, and Hispanic communities like Mexicans. Basically, I targeted the immigrants. They were the markets I was looking at. These people needed the services I offered. Apart from that, I gave them good service. I had a passion for helping and serving people. This made my business grow because I began to get referrals. When immigrants came to the US looking for a way to stabilise themselves and get their papers, people referred them to me based on the good services I rendered to them or their relatives. If I wasn’t doing good jobs, I wouldn’t get those referrals. These helped my company.
How did you come about being a community leader?
I’m from Edo State. Therefore, I’m the President of the Bini Club of Houston. I was born and raised as a Bini in Benin City. When I relocated to the US in 2005, I first settled in Dallas for a year, before I moved to Houston. Then, in 2006, I wanted to associate with my people and tell them what I did for a living. That was when one of my aunties introduced me to the Bini Club of Houston. I registered as a member and in the following year, I became their secretary through election. I served as the secretary for eight years to different administrations. It was a two-year tenure, so I had four tenures. Two years ago, I became the vice president. When the president was leaving this year, I ran for the office. I emerged as the first female president of the Bini Club of Houston. This is just my 11th month as the president.
How long has the Bini Club of Houston been in existence?
It has been in existence for 35 years.
Nigerians in the diaspora say that it is not always greener on the other side. Do they say this to discourage those at home not to come and join you abroad?
That word is 100 per cent correct. America is not a bed of roses. I told you when I came here as a trained lawyer, I had to begin as a cashier. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t do that in Nigeria. But coming to the US to succeed requires a process. The mentality we get from our people is that they think when you get to America or other places, you will just start making money, but it isn’t like that. You have to start from scratch. Whoever you are, America will humble you. We’re not saying that word to scare people away from relocating. It is just the reality. The reason is that as a professional in Nigeria maybe a doctor, engineer, or lawyer, you need to get your certifications here. This requires a lot of processes with money. For some people, their immigration status prevents them from working as a professional, so we take all of these into consideration and say, ‘it is not always greener on the other side.’ We pay bills. The first thing is to regularise your papers and we have many ways of doing that. The lucky people were those who came in with a visa lottery and that has been blocked for Nigerians.
How do you cope with pressures from relatives who need financial assistance from home?
We’re Nigerians and have to cope. I have a lot of relatives because my father was a polygamist. I’m number 10 of 24 children from eight mothers. By God’s grace, I can say everyone is successful because the family is big. However, there are still relatives, friends or other people who will come for one help or the other. Notwithstanding, my principle is to teach people how to fish not give them fish when they seek help. I prefer to help people with lasting solutions, not giving stipends here and there. With that, I don’t put unnecessary burdens on myself. This is different from just occasional giving like the festive periods because we are used to it. It is who we are. I learned that things are expensive in Nigeria now so it’s my responsibility to also try and give people more than what I gave last year.
How do you feel when you hear about the economic hardship in Nigeria?
It’s not a pleasant feeling at all. I feel bad. I think of how people survive in Nigeria. Honestly, I don’t understand. I hear people can work for months in some organisations without being paid. How do they cope? You can’t do that in the US. There are bills to pay. I own my home here, but I pay my mortgage every month. If I’m working for someone and I don’t get paid, it means I’ll be evicted from my house, my electricity will be cut, I won’t have food and others. It is a month-to-month country. My heart bleeds for people back at home. I don’t understand why the government treats citizens like that. I hear about the disturbing unemployment rate. I don’t understand how those who have jobs even cope because I was told a bag of rice is around N120,000.
As an American citizen, what are your thoughts on the election that returned Donald Trump?
For me, it is what is good for America that I stand for. I am a businesswoman, so I stick with what is good for the US. Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have their qualities but it’s for the American people to decide who they prefer. I voted as a US citizen but won’t tell you who I voted for. American politics is interesting. We don’t have a choice but to embrace Trump as our president. We’re optimistic that he will do better than the last time he was there. Just like when President Bola Tinubu came in as president of Nigeria, a lot of people didn’t want him but he’s there today. There’s nothing anybody could do about it but to respect the process.
Will you lend your voice to the japa syndrome for Nigerians to search for greener pastures around the world or sit at home to survive?
It would have been better for all of us to stay back and use our skills to build Nigeria, but successive governments have proved that they don’t want to support the people. The skills that we’re taking to diaspora are the skills we should have used for our country. For me, if anybody has the opportunity to better their lives somewhere else, it is a welcome development. And there are still people who don’t want to go anywhere but make Nigeria great; that’s also good. We just have to do what is best for our lives as Nigerians.
What project do you have for the people back at home?
I have an initiative called Lydia Aguebor Foundation. I attended Idia College for my secondary school. I finished in 1988. Our alumni is strong in Houston and we give back to our community. So, I started my foundation when I turned 50. I will be 53 next month. So, I used that foundation during my birthday to sponsor students who are brilliant but can’t afford their WAEC fees. I paid for their WAEC fees. I will do it again this year. I also give them money to buy their sandals and backpacks.
Do you plan to relocate to Nigeria in the future?
I can’t decide that yet. Nigeria is my country. I love Nigeria. I’m always happy when I come. That’s the only time I don’t have to work. I make sure I eat all the organic foods that I’ve missed in the US. Having said that, I don’t know if I’ll settle in Nigeria. Maybe I can come when everything gets better. Security and healthcare are a big deal for me. I don’t see that yet in Nigeria. My mother died in 2022 in Nigeria because they removed the oxygen she was using before they could transfer her from one hospital to another. This always gets me emotional when I remember. Imagine, my mother was on oxygen and a particular hospital said they could not take care of her again. So, they took away their oxygen. How did they want her to survive from one point to another? I usually think that the poor healthcare system in Nigeria killed my mother. All of this gets me scared of coming back to Nigeria. But, when the government makes the country better, I’ll come. If the economy is stabilised, all of us in the diaspora will come back home.
Source: PUNCH
The administration of United States President Donald Trump has finalised a new rule limiting most foreign students and exchange visitors to a maximum stay of four years, unless they obtain an extension from the federal government, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.
The new regulation, announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ends the long-standing “duration of status” policy, which allowed international students to remain in the United States for the length of their academic programmes, provided they complied with visa requirements.
The restriction applies to holders of F-1 student visas and J-1 exchange visitor visas.
According to The Washington Post, the DHS acknowledged concerns that some students may struggle to complete their academic programmes within the new timeframe, noting that many bachelor’s degree programmes take more than four years to complete, while doctoral programmes often require significantly longer.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the change was necessary to strengthen immigration enforcement and reduce visa overstays.
“For nearly half a century, the outdated ‘duration of status’ system has compromised national security and created an environment ripe for immigration fraud,” Mullin said.
The policy has drawn criticism from NAFSA: Association of International Educators, which described the move as unnecessary and warned that it would create uncertainty for international students.
“DHS’ decision to end Duration of Status is a misguided and unnecessary policy shift that injects uncertainty, bureaucracy, and fear into a system that has long worked effectively,” NAFSA Executive Director Fanta Aw said.
The new rule comes as many US colleges and universities continue to face challenges in attracting international students amid tighter immigration policies and visa restrictions introduced by the Trump administration.
A coroner’s court in the United Kingdom has ruled that a 27-year-old Nigerian woman, Beatrice Solomon, died by suicide after battling mental health challenges linked to personal difficulties.
Beatrice, who relocated from Nigeria to the UK on a skilled worker visa in November 2023, was found unresponsive in her home on Norris Road, Stanfield.
According to a report by The Sentinel on Sunday, the inquest heard that her husband, Damian Butler, had left home for his delivery job at about 4:30 pm on the day of the incident before returning approximately two hours later to use the toilet, where he discovered his wife unresponsive.
A police officer, PC Hinchliffe, told the court that emergency responders arrived shortly afterwards, but Beatrice was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:21pm.
According to the report, the investigators ruled out any third-party involvement in her death.
During the hearing, Butler told the court that his wife had struggled with her mental health over the past year, which he attributed to ongoing issues involving Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
He also disclosed that he later became aware that Beatrice had made two previous attempts to take her life.
“It is clear to me that Beatrice had researched and planned how to take her life. I can only extend my sincere condolences to Beatrice’s family and friends,” the coroner said.
Beatrice, who worked as a carer in the UK, is survived by her husband, a son, and her siblings.
This tragedy highlights the emotional and mental health challenges some migrants may face while adjusting to life in a new country.
According to the World Health Organisation, research from various countries has shown that some migrants face increased mental health risks due to factors such as separation from their families, financial stress, uncertainty, discrimination, and cultural barriers.
The WHO stated that the findings underscore the need for accessible mental health support and timely interventions for migrants experiencing psychological distress.
Israel recently shared intelligence with the US about a new Iranian plot to assassinate President Trump, according to a report.
The latest assassination plan, reported by the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, comes after years of Iranian regime threats to kill Trump as revenge for the 2020 killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Gen. Qasem Soleimani by US forces.
When asked for comment, the White House referred The Post to Trump’s Wednesday remarks at the NATO summit in Ankara.
Trump traveled to Turkey on his new Qatari “palace in the sky” plane, but took a different Air Force One home. The plane switch was a strategic “distraction” to keep the commander-in-chief safe, the White House said.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who accompanied the president to the summit, was instructed not to travel to Israel as planned shortly before Trump chose to switch planes in Turkey. It’s unclear if the Iranian threat extended to the war secretary.
Trump terminates remaining members of Election Assistance Commission after landmark Supreme Court ruling expanded his powers
The Journal report did not include details of the alleged assassination plot.
The Israelis tipped the US off about the plot earlier this week. The specific threat was not being tracked by US officials before Israel’s warning and has yet to be vetted, CNN reported.
A banner against President Trump is held in Tehran as mourners gather on the day of burial of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The warning comes as Trump’s relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has become somewhat fraught amid the Iran war.
Trump on June 1 told Netanyahu he was “f–king crazy” over his attacks on Lebanon, fearing they would provoke more war with Iran.
”You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this,” a US official summarized Trump’s comments, which the president later confirmed to The Post.
The world leaders have spoken on at least two occasions since the tense June 1 call, including Thursday, and have agreed to meet “in the near future,” according to Netanyahu’s office.
Banners vowing revenge against Trump were on full display in Tehran this week as Iranians prepared to bury late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the war.
This was disclosed in a statement released on the website of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday.
The DHS claimed that these individuals have been placed on what it described as its “worst-of-the-worst” criminal register.
While the names and photos have been made public, the timeline for deportations remains undisclosed.
However, the US immigration authorities explained that the deportations are part of ongoing immigration enforcement, stressing that those listed were convicted of serious crimes, but declined to provide details about the offences or when deportations would take place.
The statement read: “The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is highlighting the worst of worst criminal aliens arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Under DHS leadership, the hardworking men and women of DHS and ICE are fulfilling President Trump’s promise and carrying out mass deportations – starting with the worst of the worst – including the illegal aliens you see here.”
The website then listed: “Sunday Adediora, Sunday Kunkushi, Mkpouto Etukudoh, Marcus Unigwe, Olaniyi Ojikutu, Boluwaji Akingunsoye, Ejike Asiegbunam, Emmanuel Mayegun Adeola, Bamidele Bolatiwa, Ifeanyi Nwaozomudoh, Aderemi Akefe, Solomon Wilfred, Chibundu Anuebunwa, Joshua Ineh, Usman Momoh, Oluwole Odunowo, Bolarinwa Salau, Oriyomi Aloba.”
Others are Oludayo Adeagbo, Olaniyi Akintuyi, Talatu Dada, Olatunde Oladinni, Jelili Qudus, Abayomi Daramola, Toluwani Adebakin, Olamide Jolayemi, Isaiah Okere, Benji Macaulay, Joseph Ogbara, Olusegun Martins, Kingsley Ariegwe, Olugbenga Abass, Oyewole Balogun, Adeyinka Ademokunla, Christian Ogunghide, Christopher Ojuma, Olamide Adedipe, Patrick Onogwu, Olajide Olateru-Olagbegi and Omotayo Akinto.
There are also Kenneth Unanka, Jeremiah Ehis, Oluwafemi Orimolade, Ayibatonye Bienzigha, Uche Diuno, Akinwale Adaramaja, Boluwatife Afolabi, Chinonso Ochie, Olayinka A. Jones, Theophilus Anwana, Aishatu Umaru, Henry Idiagbonya, Okechukwu Okoronkwo, Daro Kosin, Sakiru Ambali, Kamaludeen Giwa, Cyril Odogwu, Ifeanyi Echigeme, Kingsley Ibhadore, Suraj Tairu, Peter Equere, Dasola Abdulraheem, Adewale Aladekoba, and Akeem Adeleke.
Also listed were Bernard Ogie Oretekor, Abiemwense Obanor, Olufemi Olufisayo Olutiola, Chukwuemeka Okorie, Abimbola Esan, Elizabeth Miller, Chima Orji, Adetunji Olofinlade, Abdul Akinsanya, Elizabeth Adeshewo, Dennis Ofuoma, Quazeem Adeyinka, Ifeanyi Okoro, Oluwaseun Kassim, Olumide Bankole Morakinyo, Abraham Ola Osoko, Oluchi Jennifer and Chibuzo Nwaonu.
The latest action is part of the sweeping immigration enforcement measures introduced by the administration of US President Donald Trump after his return to office on January 20, 2025.
On his first day back in office, Trump signed a series of executive orders declaring illegal immigration a national emergency and directing federal agencies to intensify border security and accelerate the removal of undocumented migrants.
One of the orders, titled: “Protecting the American People Against Invasion, instructed immigration authorities to prioritise the arrest and deportation of removable migrants, particularly those considered threats to public safety and national security.”
Defending the policy, the DHS said the administration was delivering on Trump’s campaign promise to carry out mass deportations, beginning with what it described as the “worst of the worst” criminal offenders.
The department said officers of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been directed to intensify operations nationwide against non-citizens convicted of serious crimes.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has also defended the crackdown, saying the administration remained committed to enforcing immigration laws and removing undocumented immigrants with criminal records in line with President Trump’s immigration agenda.Executive Branch
Official US immigration data indicate that Guatemala has recorded the highest number of deportees since the renewed crackdown began, followed by Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador, reflecting the administration’s focus on migrants from Latin America.
The US has also expanded deportation flights to countries across Africa, Asia and the Caribbean as enforcement operations continue.
Nigeria has also come under increased scrutiny by the Trump administration. In June, Washington imposed partial visa restrictions on Nigerian citizens, citing concerns over identity management, information sharing, visa overstay rates and security screening.Demographics.
The PUNCH
The parents of a Nigerian student convicted of robbery and blackmail in the United Kingdom have appealed to the authorities to review the verdict, insisting that their son was wrongly convicted and is innocent of all the charges against him.
Mr Aderinkola Akinrinola and Mrs Olayinka Akinrinola made the appeal in a statement released in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Thursday, following the conviction of their son, Oluwatobiloba Akinrinola, by a UK court on June 19, 2026.
He is currently being held in a prison in Nottingham pending his sentencing, scheduled for July 27.
The distraught parents alleged that the conviction was based largely on circumstantial evidence and their son’s association with the principal suspect in the case.
They explained that their son met Richile Vagnu shortly after resuming his studies as a first-year student at Leicester University in September 2025, describing their relationship as that of acquaintances rather than close associates.
“Our son was present at the party where the incident took place, but he was never involved in the robbery,” the parents said.
They claimed that some of the victims testified in court that Oluwatobiloba was not among those who robbed them and that he only briefly entered the room where the incident occurred, asked what was happening and left after making it clear that he did not want to be involved.
The parents further stated that investigators found evidence of money transfers made by victims to accounts linked to other suspects, but found no such transactions in their son’s bank records.
They also alleged that CCTV footage presented during the trial did not place their son at the scene of the alleged robbery, apart from showing him arriving at the party.
According to them, the police were unable to produce some of the suspects in court because they allegedly failed to honour police invitations.
The family further claimed that one of the victims testified that Oluwatobiloba appeared to be trying to assist those affected rather than participating in the crime.
They disclosed that shortly after the incident, their son came across a social media video that allegedly linked him to the attack.
Concerned by the allegations, he reportedly contacted the police voluntarily and offered to present himself for questioning.
According to the parents, officers informed him at the time that he was not considered a suspect.
Describing their son as a calm and sociable young man with no previous criminal record, the couple appealed to the UK authorities to re-examine the case.
They also called on relevant authorities, legal institutions and human rights organisations to look into the circumstances surrounding the conviction and ensure that justice is served.
The statement read in part, “Our son, Oluwatobiloba Akinrinola, was wrongfully convicted of robbery and blackmail. We are Mr Aderinkola Akinrinola and Mrs Olayinka Akinrinola, parents of Oluwatobiloba Akinrinola, who was wrongfully convicted of robbery and blackmail by the UK government on June 19, 2026. He has been remanded in Nottingham Prison pending sentencing on July 27, 2026.
“Our son is innocent of the charges against him. The police argument against him is that he is guilty by association with the prime suspect. The only evidence presented in court against our son is a picture he took with Richile Vagnu, the prime suspect, and CCTV footage showing him entering the venue of the party where the robbery took place on November 21, 2025. Oluwatobiloba Akinrinola met Richile Vagnu in October after resuming school in September as a fresher at Leicester University. They were, at best, acquaintances.
The parents’ statement added, “While our son was present at the party where the robbery took place, he was never part of the robbery. Some of the victims also confirmed this in court. As recorded in his statement, he briefly entered the room where the robbery was taking place, questioned the prime suspect about what was happening and then left, insisting that he did not want to be part of it.
“The robbery victims said they were robbed of their jackets and footwear, and none of the items was found in our son’s possession after police searched his apartment. The police said they found evidence that money was transferred by the victims to the accounts of the other suspects, Vagnu and Ayomide Ibraheem, but no such evidence was found in our son’s bank records.
“The court insists our son is guilty but allowed other suspects to go scot-free, including Ayomide Ibraheem, whom victims identified as the person preventing them from leaving the room during the robbery. In all the CCTV footage played by the police in court, our son did not appear at the scene of the crime. He was only seen entering the party. The police also failed to produce the other suspects in court, despite allegations that they received money from the victims. The police said they did not honour invitations.
“Victims testified that our son was not involved. In fact, one of the victims said he was trying to help them. A few days after the robbery incident, our son saw a misleading video online posted by a TikTok influencer linking him to the attack. He immediately contacted the police and told them he was willing to come in for questioning because he was not involved in the robbery. The police told him not to bother because he was not a suspect.
“Our son is a calm and sociable young man who has never been linked to any criminal activity before now. Please help us. We are devastated. We simply want the world to hear our side of the story. Our son is about to suffer for a crime he did not commit. His life is about to be destroyed for something he did not do. We want the UK government to review the case and ensure that justice is done.”
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