The UK government has advised its residents in Nigeria not to travel to 12 states in the country due to the risk of terrorist attacks.
The warning came from the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), which was concerned about the prospect of terrorist attacks in Nigeria.
In a statement posted on its website on October 16, 2021, it voiced concern about protests and increased security in major cities as a result of the trial of Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The foreign government also advised citizens to keep an eye on local media and stay away from protests and huge gatherings.
Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Kaduna, Katsina, and Zamfara are the Nigerian states listed by the UK.
Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River are the other states.
The FCDO further warned against all but necessary travel to Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa, Niger, Sokoto, and Kogi, as well as within 20 kilometers of the Niger-Niger border in Kebbi and Abia states.
It also warned UK citizens against visiting Delta, Bayelsa, and Rivers states’ non-riverine areas.
Events to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the #EndSARS protests are expected to take place around the country beginning October 18th, according to the alert.
“Protests and increased security presence are possible in big cities such as Lagos and Abuja. In Abuja, a high-profile trial of a separatist leader is also set for October 21.
“As a result, there may be more protests and a stronger security presence in Abuja and the Southeast. “You should follow local media in all affected locations and avoid any demonstrations or big gatherings,” the alert read.
The Nigerian government has mandated that all telecommunication companies in Nigeria stop providing services to Zamfara State as of September 3, 2021, according to FCDO.
The FCDO claims that this includes a complete shutdown of all mobile telecommunications, including WiFi.
A number of other state governments, including Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Niger, had also adopted a partial telecom service outage, according to the report.
“There has been an increase in protests and demonstrations in Nigeria’s south-east region since August 9th. Marches, including “Stay at Home” protests, are expected across the Southeast during October.
Previously, there have been instances of violence during sit-in protests. “You should keep an eye on local media, avoid any demonstrations or big gatherings, and obey all police and security orders,” the alert stated.
