U.S.
authorities have updated a travel alert on Nigeria, warning the
American citizens against travelling to 16 states in the country,
including the north-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.
The
three states are currently under the emergency rule, declared by
President Goodluck Jonathan on May 14, 2013, and prolonged in November
2013.
The revised alert dated January 8, 2014, was released by the U.S. State Department.
It also recommended Americans to avoid unnecessary travels to Bauchi, Bayelsa, Delta, Gombe and Jigawa states.
The other states on the list included Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara.
The State Department added that the level of kidnappings, robberies and other armed attacks is high in these states.
However,
Abia, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Imo and Rivers states, are not in the travel
alert list anymore, but they were present there in the previous edition of the list on June 2013.
The U.S described the security situation in Nigeria as “fluid and unpredictable”, and warned against travel to the Gulf of Guinea because of the threat of piracy.
The
travel alert urged all the American citizens to be particularly
vigilant around government security facilities, “places of worship and
locations where large crowds may gather”.
“Security measures in Nigeria remain heightened due to threats posed by extremist groups.“Boko Haram, an extremist group based in northeast Nigeria designated as a Foreign Terrorist organisation by the Department of State, has claimed responsibility for many attacks, mainly in northern Nigeria,” the statement read.
The
State Department also warned about the recent activities of the Ansaru
group, an offshoot of Boko Haram sect, which has carried out several
kidnappings targeting foreigners in Nigeria.
It noted that the group also claimed responsibility for other violent acts in the past year.
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