Ghana has denied issuing a travel advisory to its citizens to keep away from Abuja, the capital of Nigeria.
A notice circulating since Wednesday, November 16, 2022, bears the name and logo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.
It indicated that Nigeria asked some hotels to close, citing “the directive by local authorities to hotels operating in residential buildings to shut down”.
The ministry allegedly said there was a “high danger of terrorism, criminality, inter-communal conflict, armed attacks, and kidnappings”.
In a rejoinder tweeted Thursday morning, the government declared the statement unauthorized.
The purported warning followed similar advisories by the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Germany, and others, since October.
The Nigerian military had managed to limit insurgents to northeastern Nigeria but terror gangs managed to infiltrate the North-West and North-Central in recent years.
Their incursion, largely through Niger and Kogi States, exposed the FCT where terrorists launched attacks at different times this year.
On July 5, the Medium Security Correctional Centre in Kuje was breached hours after President Muhammadu Buhari’s advance team was attacked en route to Katsina.
On July 24, a contingent of the Presidential Guards Brigade was ambushed along the Kubwa-Bwari road. Eight personnel and more than 10 insurgents died.
The military operation foiled the planned invasion of the Nigerian Law School and the nearby Veritas University, both in Bwari.
The attack coincided with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, alert that Abuja, Katsina, Kaduna, Kogi, Lagos and Zamfara were under threats.
A memo by Deputy Commandant General, DCG, of Operations, D. D. Mungadi said Boko Haram and Islamic State’s West Africa Province, ISWAP, already mobilized fighters and weapons.
Terror Alert: Ghana Warns Citizens Against Travelling To Abuja
The Ghanaian government on Wednesday, November 16, 2022, warned the public against traveling to the Nigerian capital Abuja 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.
‘Avoid Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Other States’: UK Issues Fresh Security Alert For Citizens In Nigeria
The United Kingdom has warned against all but essential travel to Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.
In an updated travel advice on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, the British government listed states its citizens should avoid.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, FCDO, advises against all travel to Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Kaduna.
Others are Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Katsina, and Zamfara states.
The FCDO cautioned against all but essential travel to Abia, Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa, Niger, Sokoto, Plateau, Taraba, Kogi, within 20km of the border with Niger in Kebbi,
The advisory said terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Nigeria.
“The risk of terrorism includes the capital city Abuja, and the surrounding Federal Capital Territory area. This risk has increased in 2022.”
It added that the attacks are usually indiscriminate and could affect western interests and tourist places.
