EXACTLY six months after the United States (U.S.) cautioned its citizens aganst travelling to Nigeria, it issued another warning yesterday.
The United States Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Washington, DC gave reasons for re-issuing t he travel warning.
It said tht the clearin was access stated by further deterioration in the security situation in the Niger Delta region, due to recent car bombings in the city of Port Harcourt and continuing kidnappings of expatriates in that area.
American citizens should depart from and defer non-essential travel to Delta, Bayesa, and Rivers states, it said.
The Warning also provided an update on aviation safety in Nigeria and addresses upcoming elections.
The U.S. said that this warning superseded the oen issued on August 24, 2006.
The travel warning read:
“The Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens of the dangers of travel to Nigeria. The lack of law and order in Nigeria poses considerable risks to travelers. Violent crime committed by ordinary criminals, as well as by persons in police and military uniforms, can occur throughout the country and tends to peak between November and January, during the holiday period.”
It continued: The security situation in the Niger Delta region has deteriorated significantly over the past year. Travel to the region remains dangerous and should be avoided. Throughout the year, a number of expatriate workers in the oil industry, including American citizens, have been held hostage for days or weeks. Hostages haven been taken from oil facilities, public roadways, and within the city of Port Harcourt. While most have been released unharmed, one militant group has threatened to kill oil workers and their families and, in November 2006, a British national was killed during an attempted kidnapping.
The travel warning added: “In addition, U.S. citizens and other foreigners have been threatened and held hostage during labor disputes. Two car bomb explosions at oil company compounds in Port Harcourt on December 18, 2006, prompted a major oil company to withdraw employee dependents from the city. In light of these latest incidents, the Department of State advises U.S. citizens to defer non-essential travel to Delta, Bayelsa, and Rivers states, and Americans not involved in the performance of essential duties depart from those three states.”