The United States (US) has authorized the evacuation of “non-emergency” employees and their families in Nigeria.
The approval was announced by the US State Department in an update to its Nigeria travel advisory on Tuesday evening.
The US embassy in Abuja will have “limited ability” to provide emergency assistance to US citizens, according to the update, while the consulate in Lagos will continue to provide routine and emergency services.
The embassy via its website said “On October 25, 2022, the U.S. Department of State granted authorized departure status to Embassy Abuja, which permits the voluntary departure of family members and certain employees due to the heightened risk of terrorist attacks.
“The U.S. Embassy in Abuja continues to have limited ability to provide emergency assistance to U.S. citizens in Nigeria. The U.S. Consulate in Lagos continues to provide routine and emergency services to U.S. citizens in Nigeria.”
The advisory also stated that Nigeria is rated Level 3, implying that citizens should reconsider visiting the country.
Travel plans for Americans were advised to be postponed “due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and maritime crime.”
Although Nigeria is a Level 3 country, some states are said to have a higher risk of attack and are thus classified as Level 4 — meaning Americans should avoid visiting such areas.
Terrorist attacks and kidnappings have been reported in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, and Zamfara states.
With the exception of Port Harcourt, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers states were also classified as Level 4 “due to crime, kidnapping, and maritime crime.”
Terrorists may strike with little or no warning and will target public places such as shopping malls, markets, hotels, places of worship, restaurants, bars, schools, government installations, and transportation hubs, according to the US State Department.
