At least no fewer than twenty nations have asked their citizens to stay away from Nigeria.
This is coming on the heels of the recent bomb blasts in Nyanya, Abuja and the abuduction of over hundred school girls last week.
Specifically, the Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has had to issue two statements of the four critical statements on the Nigeria terror attacks within three days. His first statement was on Monday the 14th after the Nyanya Bus station bombing, and then on Wednesday after the kidnapping of over 100 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State.
Travel warnings against Nigeria are fast becoming the new international fad, countries that have issued stay off warning include, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden.
While countries like the US have already issued several warnings to its citizens about Nigeria, it has updated the advisory earlier this year and has kept those travel advisories in force up until now. But more nations are doing the same after last week set of terrorist attacks in Abuja and Borno State. According to a statement from Canada’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, in an updated advisory released over the weekend, Canadians have been advised to avoid “non-essential travel to Nigeria,” declaring that “the security situation throughout the country is unpredictable, and there is a significant risk of terrorism, crime, inter-communal clashes, armed attacks and kidnappings.”
The very detailed warning was updated after the Nyanya bus stop bombing and the kidnap of over 100 girls in Borno State both of which happened last week.
In its current travel advisory on Nigeria, the US government categorically warned its citizens, recommending that “US citizens avoid all travel to Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.” The US government further added that the security situation in Nigeria “remains fluid and unpredictable.”
From the Australian government also came, this week, an updated travel warning to its citizens against going to Nigeria. According to the statement from the Australian Foreign Affairs and Trade Department, an updated warning against Nigeria was issued last Tuesday April 15, a day after the Nyanya bus stop bombing.
“Australians in Nigeria are reminded that, in recent years, places of worship have been attacked during Easter period. We continue to advise Australians to reconsider their need to travel to Nigeria at this time due to the very high threat of terrorist attack, the high risk of kidnapping, the unpredictable security situation, the heightened risk of violent civil unrest and the high level of violent crime,” the official warning stressed.
The situation is the same in the United Kingdom. On April 16, two days after the Nyanya attack, the UK government also updated its travel warning to its citizens ruling out all travel by its citizens to Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, and Gombe states. The same advisory was made by the British government regarding travel to Kano city, Okene, riverine states and Warri city. That travel warning also referenced the Nyanya attack.
I don't blame all those countries,when the security in Nigeria is very,very poor.