Much of Nigeria has now been placed under a “do not travel” advisory by the U.S. Department of State.
Previously, 18 of the country’s states fell under this Level 4 warning, but on Wednesday, April 8, Plateau, Jigawa, Kwara, Niger, and Taraba states were added.
This means that Americans are now being told not to visit 23 of Nigeria's 36 states.
In addition, citing a “deteriorating security situation,” non-emergency U.S. government employees and U.S. government employee family members were authorized to leave the U.S. embassy in the capital city of Abuja.
While the majority of Nigeria’s states now carry a Level 4 warning, the country as a whole, including business hub Lagos, remains at Level 3 — “reconsider travel.”
Crime, terrorism, and kidnapping, along with attacks by Islamist insurgents, are the main concerns in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, the State Department said.
“Violent crime is common throughout Nigeria. This includes armed robbery, assault, carjacking, kidnapping, hostage-taking, roadside banditry, and rape. Kidnappings for ransom happen often and Americans are perceived as wealthy and are often targets,” the statement read.
The U.S. military has around 200 troops and several MQ-9 drones stationed in Nigeria to assist with the country’s struggles against militants, who carry out attacks mainly in the north of the country.
The Nigerian government, however, was keen to point out that the U.S. advice did not reflect the overall security situation.
The information ministry said: “While we acknowledge isolated security challenges in some areas, there is no general breakdown of law and order, and the vast majority of the country remains stable.”
Between 80,000 and 120,000 Americans visit Nigeria every year, which is around five to 10 percent of total arrivals.
For travelers, the U.S. State Department divides countries into four categories, from Level 1 (safest) to Level 4 (most dangerous). Level 4 countries can be found across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and South America.
These nations are often war-torn and have extremely high levels of crime and terrorism. What’s more, they often lack U.S. embassies, and many insurance policies exclude coverage.
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