Nigeria: Abuja evacuation

The United States authorized non-emergency staff and family members to leave its embassy in Abuja on April 8 after it said Nigeria’s security situation had deteriorated. (state.gov) Washington kept Nigeria at Level 3, “Reconsider Travel,” and told Americans to avoid 23 states for combinations of terrorism, kidnapping, crime and unrest. The embassy’s April 8 security alert told U.S. citizens to make emergency plans that do not rely on U.S. government help. (state.gov) (usembassy.gov) The updated advisory added Jigawa, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Plateau and Taraba to the “Do Not Travel” list for terrorism, crime and kidnapping. Other states already on that list include Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, Katsina, Imo, Anambra and Rivers, except Port Harcourt. (state.gov) The warning landed as Nigerian security agencies circulated intelligence about possible attacks in Abuja and neighboring Niger state. An internal memo reported by the Associated Press said suspected militants were plotting strikes on Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and Kuje prison. (apnews.com) The U.S. move points to a wider security map, not a single threat in the capital. The State Department cited violent crime, roadside banditry, kidnapping for ransom, terrorism and civil unrest across multiple regions, from the northeast insurgency belt to the southeast and oil-producing south. (state.gov) Kidnapping has become one of the clearest markers of that broader crisis. Amnesty International Nigeria said at least 1,100 people were abducted in the country between January and April 2026, with many cases concentrated in northern communities and camps for displaced people. (amnesty.org.ng) Nigeria’s government pushed back on the U.S. assessment a day later. Information Minister Mohammed Idris said the advisory was a routine precaution based on U.S. internal protocols and “does not reflect the overall security situation” in Nigeria, where he said institutions and economic activity remain operational. (naijanews.com) Reuters reported on April 9 that the embassy departure covered non-emergency U.S. government employees and their relatives, not a full shutdown of diplomatic operations. That distinction matters in Abuja, where foreign missions often adjust staffing without closing entirely. (reuters.com) Abuja has long been treated as safer than many of Nigeria’s conflict zones, which is why an authorized departure there carries extra weight. For now, the embassy remains open, but Washington has signaled that even the federal capital is no longer insulated from the country’s spreading insecurity. (state.gov) (apnews.com)