The United States government, yesterday, granted authorised departure status to U.S. citizens in Abuja, permitting voluntary departure of family members and certain employees of its embassy in Abuja due to heightened risk of terrorist attacks, barely 48 hours after it issued travel advisory to its citizens of possible terror attacks in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
This latest security notice by the U.S. Consulate came amid assurances by government and security agencies of no cause for alarm. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had, on Tuesday, labeled the terror threat as unverified and misleading.
In its updated travel advisory, U.S. warned its citizens to avoid travelling to 14 states in Nigeria due to insecurity, mentioning states to be avoided as Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi and Gombe in Northeast; Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Zamfara in Northwest; Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta and Rivers in South-South. No state was mentioned in North-Central, Southwest and Southeast.
Reacting to the fresh notice, the Federal Government, yesterday, said it cannot be stampeded by whatever any government tells its citizens to do.
Mohammed yesterday, said despite attempts by terrorists to embarrass government, security agencies have in the last few months taken firm control of the situation.
The Minister, who spoke against the background of previous assurances he had given, said citizens and non-citizens alike are safe in Nigeria. He said: “On this so called travel advisory, as far as we’re concerned, as a government, we have in the last few months taken a firm handle of security. But I want to reassure all citizens and non-Nigerians living in the country, that security agencies are on top of this matter.
“Of course, the terrorists would not stop to try to embarrass or intimidate government, but what I’m saying is that this country is safe. And there’s no cause for alarm. No cause to panic.”
Reminded that the travel advisory specifically mentioned vulnerable states that Americans must not travel to, the government spokesman affirmed that it is not strange as even Nigeria Mission in the U.S. can advise Nigerians on their movement in the country.
He said: “It’s just like if Nigeria Mission in U.S. also sends a travel advisory and warning in Houston and say, look, don’t take your children to school, because there could be mass shooting tomorrow. I mean, it is within their rights to say that their people should go home if they want to.
“But we, as a country, have a responsibility to keep our country safe, and we’re not going to be, you know, stampeded at all, by whatever any government decides to tell its people.”
Just like in Nigeria, U.S. government has also issued a security alert warning its citizens about the possibility of terror attacks in South Africa. In the alert posted on its embassy website yesterday, U.S. said it received information that terrorists may be planning to attack large gatherings of people in Sandton, Johannesburg, on Saturday. U.S. advised its citizens to avoid large gatherings in the named area.
