Ekeomah Atuonwu
The government of the United States has given the go-ahead for the evacuation of its personnel and their families from Nigeria due to possible terrorist threats.
Tuesday night, the US State Department updated its travel advice for Nigeria and stated that the evacuation had been approved.
AEM reported that specifically targeting government institutions, houses of worship, and schools among other targets, the United States and the United Kingdom had issued a warning about a potential terrorist attack in the capital Abuja on Sunday.
“On October 25, 2022, the Department authorized the departure of non-emergency U.S. government employees and family members due to the heightened risk of terrorist attacks,” the advisory read.
“The U.S. Embassy Abuja continues to have limited ability to provide emergency assistance to U.S. citizens in Nigeria. The U.S. Consulate in Lagos is providing all routine and emergency services to U.S. citizens in Nigeria.”
The Federal Government, through the Minister of Information had dismissed the security alert, stating that Nigerians are safer now and that the Nigerian Armed Forces were on top of security challenges in the country.
Nigeria’s Department of State Services said the United States had previously issued similar warnings and urged citizens to remain alert.
The nation’s capital city came under heavy attack months ago following the Boko Haram raid on Kuje Prison and an attack on the Presidential Guards Brigade at Bwari in which three elite officers were killed.
Schools in Abuja were also shutdown over security concerns during the period.
The Nigeria Police Force was yet to react to the report of the authorisation of the exodus of US government workers and citizens from the country.
