U.S. govt advises citizens against travelling to Nigeria

The United States Government has advised its citizen to reconsider travelling to Nigeria due to Covid-19, terrorism, kidnapping, civil unrest, and maritime crime.

The U.S. government gave the advisory on its Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs’ website.

The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 had on Thursday during its routine briefing announced the gradual reopening of international flights and train services across the country.

The U.S. specifically advised its citizens not to travel to Borno, Yobe, and northern part of Adamawa State due to terrorism.

It also listed Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, and Yobe States as areas vulnerable to kidnapping.

For maritime crimes, civil unrest, kidnapping and other crimes, the consulate listed the coastal states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross Rivers, Delta, and Rivers states (with the exception of Port Harcourt) as vulnerable areas.

The consulate said Nigeria is known for violent crimes such as armed robbery, assault, carjacking, kidnapping, and rape.

“Exercise extreme caution throughout the country due to the threat of indiscriminate violence,” it said.

“Terrorists continue plotting and carrying out attacks in Nigeria, especially in the Northeast. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting shopping centers, malls, markets, hotels, places of worship, restaurants, bars, schools, government installations, transportation hubs, and other places where crowds gather.”

“Sporadic violence occurs between communities of farmers and herders in rural areas.”

It also warned that the U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to its citizens in many areas of Nigeria due to security conditions.

Parts of Nigeria’s northeast are plagued by terrorism with the extremist group Boko Haram regularly carrying out attacks.

Apart from the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno and its neighbouring states, armed bandits are also attacking northwestern states randomly, killing and kidnapping dozens of people every other day.

Many have also been killed in renewed violence in Southern Kaduna, Kaduna State.

Amidst the worsening security situation, the Senate and the House of Representatives have repeatedly demanded the sack of the service chiefs, who should have retired based on military rules. President Buhari has repeatedly rejected the lawmakers’ resolutions.