The United States government has warned its citizens to stay away from 20 of Nigeria’s 36 states describing them as unsafe.
The major states named are Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe, which have suffered the worst of the Boko Haram insurgency.
The
US urged Americans to specifically stay away from these states because
its ability to protect them in that region was severely limited.
The directive was contained in an updated travel warning released on Wednesday, August 3, 2016.
The warning reads in part:
“The
Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to
Nigeria and recommends that U.S. citizens avoid all travel to Adamawa,
Borno, and Yobe states because the security situation in northeast
Nigeria remains fluid and unpredictable.
“The
ability of the Mission to provide assistance to U.S. citizens in
Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states remains severely limited. The Department
recommends against all but essential travel to the following states due
to the risk of kidnappings, robberies, and other armed attacks:
Bauchi, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina,
Kebbi, Kogi, Niger, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, and Zamfara.
“The
U.S. Mission advises all U.S. citizens to be particularly vigilant
around government security facilities; churches, mosques, and other
places of worship; locations where large crowds may gather, such as
hotels, clubs, bars, restaurants, markets, shopping malls; and other
areas frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
“Boko
Haram, an extremist group based in northeast Nigeria designated as a
Foreign Terrorist Organization by the Department of State, has claimed
responsibility for many attacks, mainly in northern Nigeria. Its members
have killed or wounded thousands of people in the past five years.
“Kidnappings
remain a security concern throughout the country. Criminal elements
throughout Nigeria orchestrate kidnappings for ransom; Islamic
extremists, operating predominantly in the North, also have been known
to conduct kidnappings. Criminals or militants have abducted foreign
nationals, including U.S. citizens, from off-shore and land-based oil
facilities, residential compounds, airports, and public roadways.
“Separatist
groups have staged demonstrations in Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta,
Enugu, Imo, Lagos, and Rivers states, some of which have turned violent.
Militant groups have destroyed oil production infrastructure in Bayelsa
and Delta states. U.S. citizens are advised to avoid the areas of
these states where these incidents have occurred.
“Attacks
by pirates off the coast of Nigeria in the Gulf of Guinea have
increased substantially in recent years. Armed gangs have boarded both
commercial and private vessels to rob travellers. The Nigerian Navy has
limited capacity to respond to criminal acts at sea.”
The US released its last travel warning on February 5, 2016.
Nigeria
is considered a security risk for foreigners due to the various
militant groups fighting one cause or the other in the country and the
likelihood for such foreigners to be targeted.
The
country is currently battling Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen and violent
militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta. Citizens also have to deal with
armed robbery, kidnapping and a generally high incidence of crime.
Boko
Haram has attracted global attention due to the viciousness of its
attacks which earned it the position of the world’s deadliest terrorist
group.
The warning from the US follows an announcement by terrorist group, Islamic State (ISIS) that it had replaced notorious Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau with former spokesman, Abu Musab al-Barnawi.
Na wa o, see this level sha. Naija we gats get our counry together soon. This is too bad, even foreign investments go hard to come in now sef...smh
#dontakeitP
US President, Barack Obama.
