"Avoid Nigeria" - US warns Citizens

United States Embassy in Nigeria on Thursday issued a security alert, warning its nationals in Africa’s most populous country to be wary of prevalent crimes during yuletide amid growing security concerns in Nigeria.

The US embassy in its travel advisory seen by HumAngle cautioned American citizens to avoid travelling to or across Nigeria during the holiday season warning that “crime is endemic throughout Nigeria and terrorist organisations still exist”.

This came as Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the abduction of over 500 students of Government Science School, Kankara, Katsina state in a video released on Thursday, causing fear that is reflective of the kidnappings of Chibok and Dapchi schoolgirls in 2014 and 2016 respectively.

Two weeks earlier, the terrorist group massacred scores of rice farmers in Zabarmari village, Borno State, continuing its reign of terror in the northeast and currently expanding to the northwest.

“Violent crime – such as armed robbery, assault, carjacking, kidnapping, and rape – is common throughout the country,” the advisory reads.

“Terrorists continue plotting and carrying out attacks in Nigeria, especially in the Northeast.”

“Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting shopping centres, malls, markets, hotels, places of worship, restaurants, bars, schools, government installations, transportation hubs, and other places where crowds gather,” it added.

Nigeria has been battling decades-long Boko-haram insurgency in the northeast, banditry in the northwest, kidnapping and cult killings in the south with army resistance to curbing insecurity in the country proving unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, the embassy while advising Americans in Nigeria to take caution seriously said that the Trump administration with the “limited ability” would provide emergency services to them across the country.