The Ghanaian government has expressed regrets over its travel advisory to its citizens to keep away from Abuja, the capital of Nigeria.
Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration says it’s unaware of the threat to its citizens in Nigeria’s seat of power and regrets the inconveniences its earlier travel advisory ‘may have caused to the traveling public.’
The Ministry, in its travel advisory of November, November 16, 2022, warned its citizens to avoid non-essential travels to Abuja, citing terrorism, kidnapping and other forms of insecurity as serious concerns.
But in a follow-up advisory tagged, Re: Security Update in Abuja, Nigeria, which the Ministry issued to ‘all media houses,’ the foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Ministry said it is not aware of any threat targeted at Ghanaians ‘who continue to live in harmony with their Nigerian brothers and sisters.’
TRAVEL ADVISORY
RE: SECURITY UPDATE IN ABUJA, NIGERIA#GhanaMFA pic.twitter.com/bPNaanUfJP— Ghana MFA (@GhanaMFA) November 17, 2022
The Statement reads: ”The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration wishes to refer to the travel advisory published this evening, Wednesday 16th November 2022 advising against non-essential travel to Abuja and wishes to state that the statement was unauthorised.
”The Ministry is not aware of any threat targeted at Ghanaians who continue to live in harmony with their Nigerian brothers and sisters.
”The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration regrets any inconvenience this may have caused to the travelling public,” it said.
The US, UK and Canadian governments had issued a security alert warning of increased terror attacks in Nigeria, particularly, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The security alert published on the US website warned its citizens in Nigeria against visiting recreational centres, hotels, clubs, restaurants, bars, and government buildings, as well as schools, markets and places of worship, said to be targeted by terrorists.