The travel advisories that the US and UK issued to their citizens in Nigeria have sparked a backlash from the Federal Government, which claims that they will discourage investment and unnecessary fear.
The declaration was made on Monday in Abuja during a meeting with editors and media executives by Mohammed Idris, the minister of information and national orientation.
He asserted that the administration has consistently given priority to ensuring the safety of both foreign nationals and citizens.
Read Also: Nigeria lost N4.3 trillion due to oil theft over a span of five years – FG
Recall that, in response to worries about possible violence in the states before the governorship elections, the UK advised its residents not to travel to Kogi, Imo, or Bayelsa before the governorship elections on November 11.
Along with Nigerian security services tasked with thwarting the threat, the United States had also sent out an alert alerting its nationals to the possibility of attacks on hotels in the Federal Capital Territory.
In response, the minister stated, “We acknowledge the concerns expressed by the US government in their most recent travel advisory, but we think it’s crucial that we avoid extrapolating individual occurrences to the hospitality sector as a whole.
As we have seen, these recommendations do little more than inciting unnecessary fear and can have grave negative effects on the economy, not to mention undermining government initiatives to draw in investment.
“We have always put the security and welfare of every foreign visitor to our nation first.
“To protect tourists and foreign visitors, we have put in place extensive security measures at both the federal and state levels.”
Between November 1st and 3rd, seven bandits were neutralised in different parts of Kaduna State through separate operations.
“On November 3, in Kano state, personnel from the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Army together conducted a dawn raid operation on terrorists’ hideaway in Gezawa Local Government Area, thereby preventing an impending insurgent attack on Kano.
Among the items found during the raid were magazines for AK-47 rifles, hand grenades, RPG bombs, improvised explosive device (IED) building supplies and guns.
“Two NYSC personnel who were kidnapped by bandits in Katsina were safely freed.
He said, “The Nigerian Air Force has been extremely busy in the north-east and north-west of the country, with several successful airstrikes on bandits’ and terrorists’ camps and hideouts in Katsina, Zamfara, and Borno States.”
