The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has advised British nationals against non-essential travels to Abuja and other parts of the country over threats of possible terrorist attacks imitating the US.
A travel warning, travel alert, or travel advisory is an official warning statement issued by government agencies to provide information about the relative safety of traveling to or visiting one or more specific foreign countries or destinations.
An updated FCDO’s travel advisory dated October 26 was made available to newsmen by the British High Commission in Abuja yesterday at the nation’s capital.
However, unlike the United States government that insists on the evacuation of its nationals from ‘terror-prone’ Nigeria.
The British High Commission in Abuja stated that it remained open for essential services.
According to the advisory, “The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has updated its travel advice on 26 October to British nationals.
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“The FCDO now advises against all but essential travel to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), including Abuja.
“The updated advice outlines that there is an increased threat of terrorist attack in Abuja. British nationals are advised to stay alert, avoid non-essential travel within the city, and follow the local news and the advice of security authorities.”
It added, “The British High Commission remains open for essential services. The travel advice will constantly be reviewed to make sure it reflects the current situation in Abuja and Nigeria.
“FCDO travel advice exists to inform British nationals so they can make decisions about travelling abroad.
Other states covered by the advisory, according to the high commission include Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa, Niger, Sokoto, Kogi, Abia, Plateau, Taraba, and within 20km of the border with Niger in Kebbi State, as well as non-riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states.
Earlier, and a few days after it issued a terrorist attack alert in Nigeria, the US government had on Wednesday notified its citizens that insurgents were planning an attack on large gatherings in Johannesburg, South Africa.
A statement from the embassy in Nigeria said, “The U.S. government has received information that terrorists may be planning to conduct an attack targeting large gatherings of people at an unspecified location in the greater Sandton area of Johannesburg, South Africa, on 29 October 2022.
“There is no further information regarding the timing, method, or target of the potential attack. The U.S. Embassy has advised staff to avoid crowds of people and other large public gatherings in the greater Sandton area of Johannesburg during the weekend of 29-30 October 2022,” the alert on the embassy’s website read.
On Sunday, both the US and Britain found a common ground in their ‘terror alert’ when they warned of possible attacks in Abuja, Nigeria’s political capital city.
They authorised the departure of non-emergency U.S government workers from Nigeria. The import, analysts say, is ‘Travel to Nigeria’s capital only if necessary.
The move came just days after the authorities of both countries issued their separate travel advisories on possible attacks in Abuja.
The travel advisories, issued on Sunday, warned UK and US citizens that the terrorists could attack public places, including schools, places of worship, and public gatherings.
They said terrorists could be targeting government buildings, places of worship, schools, and other centres.
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On its part, The US went further to urge its citizens and embassy staff members in Abuja to leave the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
This drew a sharp response from Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who said the Federal Government would not be stampeded by the terror advisories released by the governments of the US and UK.
The minister, Nigeria would not be unduly worried by whatever any government decided to tell its people living in Abuja, or other parts of the country.
•Recent experiences
It is not the first time in the nation’s history, nor in some other countries that these kinds of advisories had been raised.
In the past, some daring terrorist attacks had been recorded in Abuja and other parts of the country.
Only recently, on July 5, 2022, insurgents invaded the Kuje prison in Abuja and freed hundreds of their inmates, including hardened Boko Haram fighters.
The invaders, also in the same month, attacked the advance convoy of President Muhammadu Buhari near Dutsinma, in his native Katsina State.
Buoyed by their exploits, the terrorists would later in August ambush and kill some members of the Presidential Guards Brigade in the nation’s seat of power.
Similarly, on March 28, 2022, the ferocious terrorists attacked a Kaduna-Abuja train, killed scores, kidnapped many passengers, and held them, hostage, for over six months, before their eventual release earlier in October.
On June 5, 2022, terrorists also invaded a Catholic Church in Owo, the hometown of Ondo State governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, in the south-western part of Nigeria, killing over 40 worshippers in cold blood and injuring scores of church members.
•No cause for alarm- Mohammed
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has assured that the security agencies are on top alert following separate travel advisories by the US and UK governments warning their citizens of impending terrorist attacks in Abuja.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, stated this after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday,
Mohammed said the government had taken a firm handle on the security situation in the last few months and faulted the Nigerian media for the manner they reported the advisory story, saying they created unnecessary panic.
The minister said it was because of the panic caused by the media’s coverage of the development that many schools were closed for the week.
