In anticipation of probable terrorist strikes, the United States government has authorized the evacuation of its employees and their families from Nigeria.
In its updated travel advice for Nigeria on Tuesday night, the US State Department announced that the evacuation had been approved.
"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 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 update by the US government read.
The advisory stated that Nigeria was ranked Level 3 and that US citizens should reconsider before visiting the country.
US citizens were advised to perhaps postpone trip plans "due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and marine crime."
The advisory warned US citizens that there could be possible terrorist attacks and kidnappings in the states of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, and Zamfara.
Except for Port Harcourt, the states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers were likewise rated as Level 4 "due to crime, kidnapping, and marine crime."
Terrorists may strike with little or no notice, the US State Department said, and they would likely target public locations including shopping malls, marketplaces, hotels, houses of worship, restaurants, bars, schools, government buildings, and transportation hubs.
Nigeria is safe —FG
The Federal Government, however, reacted on Wednesday by declaring that it would not be stampeded by whatever any government instructs its people to do.
In response to questions from State House reporters about the situation, at the Presidential Villa, Nigeria's minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said that despite terrorist attempts to disgrace the government, security agencies had in recent months firmly taken control of the situation.
Speaking against the backdrop of earlier guarantees he had made, the minister added that both citizens and non-citizens were safe in Nigeria.
He said: “Now, of course, this so-called travel advisory as far as we’re concerned, as a government we have in the last few months, take a firm handle of security.
“What I said is that click-baiting, which is, you find a story that is not verified and you immediately share it, always causes panic.
“But I want to reassure both citizens, non-Nigerians, Nigerians living in this country, that security agencies are on top of this matter.
"Of course, the terrorists would not stop to try to embarrass or intimidate the government but what I’m saying is that this country is safe. And there’s no cause for alarm. No cause to panic.
"Unfortunately, because of that travel advisory on Sunday many schools were closed, shops were closed, and travel plans were disrupted, we don’t need it. The security – our soldiers, our police are working round the clock to contain any terrorist attack. This is where we stand.”
When reminded that the travel warning named vulnerable states that Americans should not visit, the government spokesman insisted that it was not strange and said that even the Nigerian embassy in the US could guide Nigerians on their movement in their host country.
"I read, that it said that non-emergency staff should leave Nigeria. You see, just like if Nigeria Mission in the US also sends a travel advisory and warning in Houston and say, look, don’t go, 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.”
Asked if the government was concerned
about the impression the advisory would give investors and what measures might be taken to stop it, Mohammed urged citizens to stop disseminating unreliable information.
He said: “The concrete step is that people should stop spreading unverified news that is what we are saying. You see, look how many school shootings happen in the US,? how many senseless killings happened in the US?
“So have they been able to predict what’s going to happen next, which school is going to be a victim next? Do Nigerians in the US also feel safe?
“I think you should stop de-marketing your home country. Every country has its security challenges. We have ours and we are facing them. Which side are you, the American side?”
Mohammed stated that the Nigerian Armed Forces were efficiently handling the security challenges in the country.
Spreading unverified information is destroying our country – Pantami.
Nigeria's minister of communication and digital economy, Isa Pantami has frowned at how the media in the country freely circulated the recent security alert issued by the US and UK Embassies in Nigeria without cross-checking or considering its adverse effects on the country's reputation.
Speaking at a ministerial panel of the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Week in Abuja on Tuesday, the minister said the trend was harming the country's reputation abroad and preventing investment and economic growth.
"Most of the schools yesterday (Monday) were shut down but we are grateful to the Almighty God, nothing happened.
“This type of unverified information has its dire implication on the economic development of our country as well as its perception globally,” he said.
Isa Pantami.
Pantami maintained that those developed nations issuing the unsubstantiated security alerts have their security challenges, including school shootings, but they successfully handled them.
The minister suggested a social shift that would place more of an emphasis on self-regulation to address the problem.
Isa Pantami warned that the menace of disinformation and fake news is causing the country to lose value day by day.
The advent of new media has transformed everyone into journalists, allowing them to create anything they choose in the comfort of their own homes without editorial oversight or verification, and then disseminate it for consumption by the general public, adding that in the present society bad news spread quickly like wildfire and was eagerly consumed, Pantami said.
Security agents conduct a raid on an Abuja estate.
In the meantime, security agents on Tuesday night allegedly conducted a raid on Trademore Estate in Abuja in response to a tip about the presence of a terrorist there.
Armed intelligence agents and others who were thought to be members of the American Special Forces raided a building where a middle-aged man was picked up as part of a sting operation that resulted in the entire closure of the Phase 4 region of the estate.
A resident of the estate, who asked to be anonymous confirmed the raid to Vanguard saying “yes, there was a raid. Boxes of grenades and other explosives were recovered. Two pistols were also allegedly recovered, from what we heard.
“Although it was learned that the suspect had plans to attack three churches in the area – Living Faith, Redeemed and a Catholic church – I cannot immediately confirm that.”
Another resident of the estate also told Vanguard that the suspect alleged that he was set up by his state governor.
He said: “The suspect is from one of the North Central states which recently witnessed a high incidence of flooding. He claims he was set up by his state governor because he(suspect) refused to work for the governor as a political thug, ahead of the 2023 general election.
"This is what we know for now but we await the security agencies to give clearer details. The point is that there was, indeed, a raid by security forces”.
According to Vanguard, one Shafiu, a Kogi State native, was picked up in the Lugbe neighborhood of Abuja a day before the raid at Trademore by men wearing Nigerian Navy woodland camouflage trousers and "Special Forces" shirts.
Shafiu, a prisoner on the Suleja Custodial Center's death row was controversially released just weeks before the general elections of 2019, Vanguard said.
Another resident who confirmed the raid to the Daily Sun claimed that the estate's leaders had sent a message to residents informing them of the most recent developments.
Security personnel had cautioned people, he told Daily Sun, not to share more details with the media or face consequences, including detention.
However, the Police Public Relations Officer of the command Josephine Adah, writing on the command’s WhatsApp platform while reacting to questions from journalists via the command's WhatsApp platform, described the alleged sting operation as a hoax.
According to the Daily Sun, the message to residents read: “It’s no longer news that there was a High Powered Sting Operation in Phase 3 this afternoon, culminating in a complete shutdown of our estate. A combination of the American Army and our DSS team were responsible.
“We are unable to give full details of the reason(s) behind the operation, however, we can confirm that there was an allegation of terrorist activities.
“It is therefore desperately incumbent on every resident to remain vigilant, KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURS and report any suspicious movement, person, or activities to the Exco, Street Reps, and/or the Police.
“We will continue to do our utmost best to keep the estate safe for all of us. Everyone is responsible for the security and there should be no iota of abdication of this responsibility.
“Finally, let’s remain calm and continue to carry out our daily activities within the parameters of the Law. God bless and protect us all,” the statement added.
Travel.
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