The United States, State Department has denied issuing a travel warning to the citizens of the United States of America living in Nigeria as a result of the ongoing bombings in the northern part of the country by theBoko Haram sect.
Reacting to reports that President Barack Obama-led administration had at the weekend issued a travel warning to Americans that are currently in Nigeria, a top official of the State Department, Mr. Dick Custin told our correspondent in an electronic mail that there was nothing like that.
He said the reports were untrue, stressing that he had not heard the United States government debate anything like a travel warning for Nigeria.
Mr. Custin further noted that the only African countries where travel warnings were issued between June and July, 2011 were the Central African Republic, DR Congo, Libya, Southern Sudan, Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire and Burundi.
The US official however confirmed to our correspondent that a travel alert was issued for Nigeria on the April 15, 2011, during the general elections in the country.
Recall that the Bureau of Consular Affairs had at that time warned US citizens of the risks of travel to Nigeria and also recommended they avoid Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, Abia, Edo, Imo, Jos, Bauchi and Borno states.
The agency also added that violent crimes committed by individuals and gangs, as well as by persons wearing police and military uniforms, remained a problem throughout Nigeria.
It said that visitors and US citizens resident in Nigeria had experienced armed robbery attacks, assault, burglary, carjacking, rape, kidnapping and extortion often involving violence.
Just last week Thursday, the Department of State had warned US citizens of the risks of travelling to the Central African Republic (CAR), and recommended against all but essential travel outside the capital, Bangui.
“Travellers in the CAR should exercise extreme caution.
This replaces the Travel Warning of January 14, 2011, to reflect the current security situation and the potential for spontaneous demonstrations”, a statement obtained by our correspondent said.
OOL’s Comment: We give this story our WTF award as we published an email we received from the US Embassy recently on just this very subject.
Read it here: http://www.oyibosonline.com/sm2/index.php?topic=11220.msg129867#new