By Olawale Lamina
Following what it described as a deteriorating security environment in the country, the United States embassy has ordered non-emergency embassy my personnel and their family members to leave its mission in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
This was revealed through the U.S. Department of State’s travel advisory published on its official website on Wednesday.
It disclosed that the latest decision on April 8, 2026, came about following an assessment of the security situation in Nigeria, while also factoring risks posed by crime, terrorism, and civil unrest across multiple regions of the country.
The published travel advisory urged Americans to exercise caution, maintaining that Nigeria’s Level 3 travel advisory status, additionally classifying several states under the stricter Level 4 advisory, indicating areas where travel should be avoided entirely.
The travel advisory report reads: “Reconsider travel to Nigeria due to crime, terrorism, unrest, kidnapping, and inconsistent availability of health care services. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory,” the statement read in part.
“On April 8, 2026, the Department of State authorized non-emergency U.S. government employees and U.S. government employee family members to leave U.S. Embassy Abuja due to the deteriorating security situation.”
The US Department of State also warned that the U.S. government may have limited capacity to assist citizens in certain high-risk areas, urging its citizens to avoid troubled locations entirely.
Recall that in December 2025, the US government placed Nigeria on a list of countries facing partial travel restrictions under a presidential proclamation aimed at tightening border controls.The decision was based on security assessments and immigration compliance data.
Nigeria was included among countries subject to partial suspension affecting certain immigrant and non-immigrant visa categories.
IThe U.S. cited deteriorating security situation to include the presence of extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State as a major concern.
It noted that visa overstay data showed Nigerian nationals recorded a 5.56% overstay rate for B-1/B-2 visas and 11.90% for student and exchange visas.
Restrictions apply to categories including B-1, B-2, F, M, and J visas, while some groups, like diplomats and existing visa holders, are exempt.
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