The Federal Government of Nigeria has formally dismissed concerns regarding a national security crisis, insisting the country remains stable despite a fresh travel advisory and partial evacuation order issued by the United States Department of State. Officials characterised the American directive as a routine internal precaution rather than an assessment of an imminent threat to the Nigerian state.
In an official statement released on Thursday in Abuja, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, urged Nigerians and the international community to remain calm. He emphasised that the government’s security agencies are in full control of the situation and have made significant strides in neutralising threats across the federation.
The response follows a Wednesday announcement from the US Embassy, which authorised the voluntary departure of non-emergency government employees and their family members from Abuja. The State Department cited an elevated risk of terrorism, kidnapping, and civil unrest, particularly in the Federal Capital Territory and 23 other states now listed under a "Do Not Travel" warning.
"The government is aware of the updated travel advisory and we want to state clearly that Nigeria is safe for all residents and visitors," Idris stated. He added that the security architecture has been significantly bolstered through intelligence-led operations. "While we respect the right of any foreign mission to issue guidelines to its staff, these are often based on their own internal protocols. Our military and police have successfully decimated several bandit camps in recent weeks, and we are not seeing the systemic breakdown that these advisories might suggest."
Despite the US advisory maintaining a Level 3 status for Nigeria generally, the Federal Government maintains that economic activities and public institutions are operating without disruption.