Canada has issued an updated advisory urging its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Nigeria, citing widespread insecurity, terrorism risks, violent crime, and kidnappings across the country.
Canada has released a fresh travel advisory warning its citizens to avoid non-essential trips to Nigeria due to what it described as an “unpredictable security situation throughout the country”.
The notice, updated on Monday, highlighted significant risks of terrorism, violent crime, inter-communal clashes, armed attacks, and kidnappings, and listed 23 states—including Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Plateau, Niger, Kogi, Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Taraba and Yobe. Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo and Rivers (excluding Port Harcourt) were also named.
Lagos and Calabar were also flagged for a high degree of caution, with the advisory noting that “there is a high level of crime throughout Nigeria, particularly in urban and border areas” and that “robberies and muggings occur regularly” often by “large and well-armed criminal groups”.
It added that criminals sometimes pose as security personnel and pointed to increased violent crime in Abuja’s outskirts. The update follows a similar advisory issued weeks earlier by the UK citing rising insecurity.