US Relaxes Terror Warning as Nigeria Lodges Protest

US Relaxes Terror Warning as Nigeria Lodges Protest

United States Embassy in Nigeria on Wednesday has released a security update which relaxed the emergency warning it issued at the weekend in which it warned US citizens to avoid certain luxury hotels in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

The security update is coming on the heels of a letter sent by the Nigerian embassy in Washington DC to the State Department to protest the emergency warning.

Background

In the emergency message issued on November 5, 2011, following deadly attacks in Damaturu and Potiskum both in Yobe State, North-east Nigeria, by Boko Haram which claimed over 100 lives, US embassy in Nigeria had warned its citizens to avoid three major hotels in Abuja - NICON Luxury, the Sheraton Hotel, and the Transcorp Hilton Hotel.

The embassy had said that it had received information that Boko Haram could attack several locations and hotels in Abuja during the Sallah holiday.

Increased security checks

But in a new security update on Wednesday, the US embassy said since it issued the emergency warning, it had continued to monitor closely the threat posed by the sect and had also noticed the increased security checks by the Nigerian government.

It therefore added that US government personnel were no longer instructed to avoid the three hotels.

The statement however urged US citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to enhance their personal security.

Protest letter

In its protest letter sent to the State Department on Wednesday, Nigeria maintained that the emergency message was badly timed, unwarranted and conflicts with the active collaboration of the security agencies of both countries to tackle the hydra-headed problem of terrorism.

Sources at the Nigerian embassy in Washington and the State Department told newsmen that Nigeria maintained that such a warning had the potential of impacting negatively on the confidence reposed in the collaboration of the security agencies of both countries.

The protest letter was also said to have cited the implications that the emergency warning would have on the 17th Nigerian Economic Summit, billed to kick off on Thursday in Abuja.

Nigeria was said to have further stated in the protest letter that while every country had its peculiar security challenges, the nation's security agencies and partners around the world were working around the clock to tackle the current security challenges facing the nation.

It however noted that such emergency warning issued by the US could further embolden the extremist sect and make it bask in the euphoria of scaring investors away from Nigeria.

Nigeria, still fighting terrorism

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Government has said it was not losing the fight against Boko Haram despite the spate of attacks launched by members of the sect recently which led to heavy casualty.

The Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, after Wednesday’s meeting of the Nigerian Federal Executive Council said the security agencies had made considerable progress in the fight against terror and not every piece of information could be revealed.

NP/Adekusibe/Williams