The United States suspended visa operations at its embassy in Abuja on Thursday, canceling all visa appointments until further notice as security concerns deepened in Nigeria’s capital. The move followed a decision a day earlier to authorize all non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families to leave the embassy.
The shutdown is the latest sign of pressure on U.S. operations in Nigeria, where the government said the security situation was getting worse. A U.S. update to its travel advisory now warns Americans planning to travel to Nigeria to reconsider because of crime, terrorism, unrest, kidnapping and inconsistent availability of health care services.
One embassy official described the country in stark terms: 23 of Nigeria’s 36 states are now labeled “do not travel.” The embassy said violent crime is common throughout Nigeria, kidnapping gangs primarily target dual national citizens who visit the country, and Americans are often singled out because they are perceived as people with money. Terrorism, it added, remains a strong challenge.
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The warning lands against a grim backdrop. Last month, suicide bombers attacked the heart of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State in northeastern Nigeria, killing more than 20 people. That attack underscored the threat environment that U.S. officials say drove the tougher advisory and the suspension in Abuja.
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Nigeria criticized the U.S. decision and called the travel advisory unbalanced, setting up another point of friction between the two countries. For travelers, the immediate effect is clear: no visa appointments in Abuja, and a much narrower path for anyone considering a trip to Nigeria while the warning remains in place.
