OAN Staff Addie Davis
12:14 PM – Thursday, April 9, 2026
The U.S. State Department authorized the voluntary departure of non-emergency government employees and their families from the Abuja Embassy — and Nigeria more broadly — on Wednesday.
In a recent advisory, the U.S. Embassy in Abuja announced that non-emergency U.S. government employees and family members have been authorized to voluntarily leave the Embassy “due to the deteriorating security situation.”
The warning reiterated the Level 3 “Reconsider Travel” designation for the West African country and listed numerous possible risks such as:
- Crime and kidnapping
- Terrorism
- Unrest
- Unreliable health care
The advisory highlighted that violent crime remains pervasive across Africa’s most populous nation, noting an increasing trend of terrorists collaborating with local gangs to extend their operational reach.
While the general travel designation applies to the entire country, several specific states have been elevated to the Level 4 “Do Not Travel” category.
In the northeast, the Embassy reported that ongoing violence has displaced nearly 2 million people. These warnings follow recent reports from the Associated Press regarding Wednesday’s attacks on two villages located approximately 155 miles northwest of Abuja.
“They came on motorbikes and began shooting. It was a surprise attack, because it was in the early hours of the morning,” said resident Jibrin Isa, per AP.
Local residents told the press that at least 20 people were killed and many others remain missing; however, local police have placed the official death toll at three. While the outlet did not identify a specific motive for the attacks, it emphasized Nigeria’s volatile security landscape, particularly in the north, where active insurgencies and armed groups frequently carry out kidnappings for ransom.
Additionally, AP highlighted ongoing clashes between predominantly Muslim Fulani herders and some persecuted Christian farming communities, attributing the violence to escalating disputes over land and grazing rights.
According to reporting by The Pillar, a news outlet covering the Catholic Church, multiple attacks took place against people in primarily Christian areas during the Easter Holy Week, killing dozens, with Easter services being specifically targeted in Ariko village.
President Donald Trump previously criticized the Nigerian government for allowing the mass slaughter of Christians, with watchdog groups reporting that the country is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian. Then, in December, Trump announced that he had ordered airstrikes against ISIS targets in northwest Nigeria, stating they “have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.”
In February, the U.S. also sent 200 troops to Nigeria to provide training and intelligence, according to Fox News. The next month, the U.S. reportedly deployed MQ-9 drones, as there were fears of renewed insurgency by the Jihadist terrorist group Boko Haram.
Meanwhile, the Embassy in Abuja is still open, though its emergency services are limited. However, the Consulate General in the Nigerian city of Lagos is reportedly providing routine and emergency services, the State Department noted.
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