The United States has told its citizens not to go to Nigeria because of the rising risks of crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed gangs there.
Because of terrorism and kidnapping, Borno, Yobe, Kogi, and northern Adamawa states all have a “do not travel” sign. Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara states all have a “do not travel” sign because of kidnapping.
The states of Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo, and Rivers (except for Port Harcourt) were all given the same warnings because of crime, kidnapping, and armed gangs.
The US warned that the security situation in these states is unstable and unpredictable because of a lot of terrorist activity, violence between communities, and kidnappings. They put these states in Level 4, which is the highest risk category, and said that security operations to counter these threats could happen at any time.
The notice said Crimes like armed robbery, attack, carjacking, kidnapping, hostage taking, roadside robbery, and rape happen all over the country. Kidnappings for ransom happen all the time, and the people who are usually targeted are U.S. citizens who seem wealthy or dual-national citizens who have gone back to Nigeria for a visit. Gangs that kidnap people have also stopped people on major roads and taken them.
“Terrorists in Nigeria are still planning and carrying out attacks.” Terrorists may attack shopping malls, hotels, places of worship, restaurants, bars, schools, government buildings, transportation hubs, and other places where a lot of people meet with little or no warning. It is known that terrorists work with neighborhood gangs to reach more people.
“There is civil unrest and armed gangs in parts of southern Nigeria, especially in the Southeast and Niger Delta. This area is also full of armed crime and gangs that kidnap people and attack Nigerian security forces.” In rural places, fights can break out between groups of farmers and herders, the report said.
It said that terrorist groups with headquarters in the Northeast often attack police, churches, schools, mosques, government offices, educational institutions, amusement parks, and people on the way to and from work.
“About two million Nigerians have been forced to leave their homes because of the violence in northeast Nigeria,” the warning said.
The State Department told its citizens that the government can’t help Americans in many parts of Nigeria in case of emergencies because of safety worries.