The Ghanaian government on Wednesday joined the bandwagon of U.S. and its Western allies who have tagged Abuja a ‘No Go Area,’ warning its citizens against traveling to the Nigerian capital over security concerns.
A statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration said the travel advisory follows the precarious situation in the capital and the subsequent directive by Nigerian local authorities to hotels operating in residential buildings to shut down.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration wishes to inform the travelling public about security developments in Abuja, Nigeria, and the subsequent directive by local authorities to hotels operating in residential buildings to shut down.”
“Accordingly, the public is advised to avoid non-essential travel to Abuja, due to the unpredictable security situation in the city, and the high danger of terrorism, criminality, inter-communal conflict, armed attacks, and kidnappings.
“Whilst advising travellers who must travel out of necessity to Abuja to take precautionary measures, the Ministry will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates to the public when the situation improves,” the statement read.
Travels between Ghana and Nigeria, the two largest economies in West Africa, are frequent.
The development comes weeks after the United States and some foreign missions warned against trips to Nigeria’s capital over terror threat.
But the Federal Government asked Nigerians not to panic, assuring them that security agencies were on top of the matter.
After the alarm raised over likely terror threat in Nigeria’s capital. the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, placed his men on alert while the military, police and operatives of Department of State Services (DSS) conducted operations that led to arrest of terror suspects.