The UK government has removed the security alert issued by the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria on the increased threat to major hotels in the country’s larger cities and on off-cycle governorship elections from its travel advisory.
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office withdrew the warning in its updated foreign advisory to its citizens in Nigeria on Wednesday.
The removal came after it joined the U.S. government to update its travel advisory, with an earlier warning to its citizens of possible terror attacks in some hotels in the country, especially in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The UK government had warned its citizens to avoid travelling to 12 states in Nigeria over the high level of insecurity in the country, including Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River.
The U.S. issued the alert about “elevated threats” to major hotels in the “larger cities” of Nigeria. The U.S. government made this announcement in an emergency advisory for its citizens in Nigeria, dated November 3.
In the advisory, the U.S. government recommended that Americans exercise vigilance when staying at major hotels and remain alert to their surroundings. They also urged citizens to maintain a low profile and review the travel advisory for Nigeria before checking into any hotels.
“The U.S. Government is aware of credible information indicating an elevated threat to major hotels in Nigeria’s larger cities,” the advisory stated. “Nigerian security services are working diligently to counter this threat.”
It added, “The U.S. Department of State advises U.S. citizens to take this information into consideration when arranging lodging or visiting major hotels in Nigeria.”
The advisory also provided the addresses and telephone numbers of the U.S. embassy in Abuja and the consulate in Lagos in case any U.S. citizen required assistance.
