There are concerns that the US is trying to coerce Nigeria into accepting a US military base.
Five months after the US designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern following false claims of Christian persecution, America has now asked its citizens not to travel to the West African country. The US has also asked its non-essential workers to leave Nigeria.
In a post shared on X on Wednesday, the US Department of State cited the rising insecurity in parts of Nigeria as the reason for its latest decision, although US officials have in the past seven months made repeated false claims about Nigeria that reflect the Donald Trump administration’s hostile disposition to the current Nigerian leadership.
PREMIUM TIMES reports that Nigeria faces several security crises with various armed groups operating in different parts of the country. Armed groups, including terrorists, have carried out attacks in several states, including Katsina, Sokoto, Borno, Plateau and Benue, killing thousands of people annually and displacing many more.
The Nigerian government and many of its international partners have admitted the security failings and called for more government action to stem the violence. However, the US has repeatedly framed the violence as targeting Christians and used that as a basis of its hostile attitude to the government, amidst concerns that it seeks to coerce the Nigerian government into accepting a US military base in Nigeria.
On Wednesday, the US government asked its non-essential workers in Nigeria to leave the country due to worsening security conditions.
In its updated travel advisory, the US Department of State listed armed robbery, kidnapping, assault, and roadside banditry as violent crimes that are common across the country.
The State Department described Nigeria as unsafe.
It also declared that “it authorised non-emergency US government employees and US government employee family members to leave the US Embassy Abuja due to the deteriorating security situation.”
The US also urged American citizens to reconsider travelling to Nigeria due to threats posed by crime, terrorism, kidnapping and civil unrest.
The advisory noted that security risks remain high in several areas, including incidents of kidnapping for ransom and attacks by armed groups that can escalate without warning.
The US government noted that conditions vary significantly across states, with some areas facing higher risks than others.
It listed the states with higher risk as Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Kogi, Jigawa, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina.
Others, it said, are Sokoto, Zamfara, Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo, and Rivers.
“Do not travel to these areas for any reason. The security situation in these states is unstable and uncertain. This is because of widespread terrorist activity, violence between communities, and kidnapping. Security operations to counter these threats may occur without warning,” the statement read.
The advisory further indicated that the US government’s ability to provide emergency services to its citizens in some areas of Nigeria is limited, particularly in regions affected by heightened insecurity.
As of the time of this report, the Nigerian government has yet to respond to the US advisory.
Perhaps the most controversial part of the US advisory is its warning to Americans not to trust the Nigerian healthcare system.
