US listed Bayelsa, Rivers,Edo and 17 other states unsafe

The United States Government has listed 20 of
Nigeria’s 36 states as unsafe and asked its
citizens living in the country to stay away from
them.

Among the 20, it cited Borno, Adamawa and Yobe
as a complete no-go area as “the ability of the
US Mission to provide assistance to US citizens”
in those states remains severely limited.

The travel warning, published on Wednesday,
replaced an earlier one dated February 5, 2016.
In addition to the three frontline states, the
Department of State also “recommends against
all but essential travel to the following states due
to the risk of kidnappings, robberies, and other
armed attacks:
Bauchi, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa,
Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Niger,
Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, and Zamfara.

“The Department also warns against travel in the
Gulf of Guinea, because of the threat of piracy”,
the advisory published online added.
It added that based on safety and security risk
assessments, the embassy maintains restrictions
for travel by US officials to the states listed
above.
Officials must also apply for advance clearance by
the US Mission for any travel to those states.

The statement particularly urged vigilance around
government security facilities; churches,
mosques, other places of worship; locations
where large crowds may gather such as hotels,
clubs, bars, restaurants, markets, shopping malls;
and other areas frequented by expatriates and
foreign travellers.

It added:
“Security measures in Nigeria remain
heightened due to threats posed by
extremist groups, and U.S. citizens may
encounter police and military checkpoints,
additional security, and possible road
blocks throughout the country.
“Hundreds of thousands of Nigerians have
been displaced as a result of violence in
the north.”
The Department of State noted that kidnappings
remained a security concern throughout Nigeria,
as criminal elements across the country
orchestrated kidnappings for ransom; Islamic
extremists, operating predominantly in the North,
also have been known to conduct kidnappings.
Criminals or militants have abducted foreign
nationals, including U.S. citizens, from off-shore
and land-based oil facilities, residential
compounds, airports, and public roadways.

It said:
“Separatist groups have staged
demonstrations in Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa,
Delta, Enugu, Imo, Lagos, and Rivers
states, some of which have turned violent.
“Militant groups have destroyed oil
production infrastructure in Bayelsa and
Delta states.
“U.S citizens are advised to avoid the
areas of these states where these
incidents have occurred.
“Attacks by pirates off the coast of Nigeria
in the Gulf of Guinea have increased
substantially in recent years.
“Armed gangs have boarded both
commercial and private vessels to rob
travellers.
“The Nigerian Navy has limited capacity to
respond to criminal acts at sea.