Monday, November 10, 2025 - The Federal Government has assured residents and foreign nationals of ongoing efforts to improve security across Nigeria, following a fresh travel warning issued by the United Kingdom.
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
advised against all travel to Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Katsina, and Zamfara
states, citing escalating violence, terrorism, and kidnappings.
It also recommended that British nationals avoid all
but essential travel to Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, Niger,
Kogi, Plateau, Taraba, and parts of Federal Capital Territory, warning of
rising violent crime and potential flashpoints such as protests.
According to Punch, the Minister of Information and
National Orientation Mohammed Idris, said the government was “keenly aware of
security challenges in parts of the country and is making efforts to address
them and make every part of the country safe for citizens and foreigners
alike.”
The minister added that President Bola Tinubu had
recently restructured top security personnel and increased investment in
military hardware and intelligence operations.
“Our security challenges will soon be a thing of the
past,” he said. “We want to give tacit assurances that we are gradually
improving security in our cities and communities. All foreign nationals in
Nigeria are guaranteed their safety as the government implements more effective
security measures,” Idris said.
However, the Gombe State Government rejected the UK
advisory, describing the classification as “unfounded and unfair.”
The Director-General, Press Affairs, Government House
Gombe, Ismaila Misilli, said the state remains one of the most peaceful and
stable in the country, with no record of insurgency, communal conflict, or
banditry in recent years.
“Honestly, this classification of Gombe is unfounded
and unfair. We are surprised and disappointed by this classification of our
dear state among the unsafe states,” Misilli said.
He added, “Gombe State remains one of the most
peaceful in the country. You are aware that the state has consistently been
rated by credible organisations and security agencies as one of the most
peaceful and stable states in Nigeria.”
According to Misilli, the state government maintains a
strong partnership with security agencies to ensure the continued safety of
lives and property.
He questioned the basis for the UK advisory, insisting
that the state has not witnessed any security threat capable of justifying such
a warning.
“We really wonder what indices were used to arrive at
this conclusion by the UK government. There have been no cases of insurgency,
communal crisis, banditry, or major security incidents in recent years,”
Misilli stated.
He urged the public and international partners to
disregard the advisory, stressing that Gombe remains safe, peaceful, and open
for investment and development.
“Gombe remains safe, welcoming, and open for business
and development. I reiterate, Gombe is peaceful, its people are hospitable, and
life here goes on in harmony,” he affirmed.
On its part, the Kano State Government also described
the UK advisory on Kano as routine and said it should not cause public alarm.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mustapha
Muhammad, said the government was actively addressing security challenges in
the region.
“Recently, the governor has taken proactive measures
to tackle the issues on the ground,” Muhammad said, adding that the UK
government may not be fully aware of strategies already being implemented
locally.
“In the areas affected, our military and security
agencies are working tirelessly to contain the threats. Our security forces
have been strategically deployed, especially in border areas where bandits
attempt to cross in from Katsina, to ensure the safety of our communities,” he
explained.
In the same vein, the Borno State government said
there had been significant improvement in the state’s security status, citing
relative peace enjoyed by residents over those in Abuja, the nation’s capital
In a phone interview with our correspondent on Sunday,
Governor Babagana Zulum’s Special Adviser on Security Matters, General
Abdullahi Ishaq (retd.), he said while the state government was not in the best
position to respond the UK, it was necessary to clarify that efforts were
in top gear to utilise all available strategies to end the insecurity
He said, “It is a concern to the state government that
the UK warned against traveling to Borno, but we all know what is happening in
this country. I can tell you that Maiduguri is safer than Abuja as far as
insecurity is concern.”
“I am not in the best position to respond to the UK
government; it is left for the President to respond,” he added
Speaking on the recorded successes in the fight
against insurgency, Ishaq said through the Borno model, many insurgents are
surrendering in high numbers via the influence of their parents
“One thing you should know is that as we speak, there
are a lot of things going on between them. As we speak, these people
(insurgents) are surrendering on a daily basis. We are using their mother, they
are talking to them and they are surrendering” he stated.
Speaking on the improvement, the SA stressed that the
relative peace currently being witnessed in the state is evident in the level
of agricultural output in the current year.
The UK advisory painted an alarming picture of the
North-East region, where “regular military operations are ongoing in Adamawa,
Borno and Yobe states” and there remains “a risk of retaliatory attacks.”
Those in Maiduguri were cautioned that “if security were to
deteriorate any further, it could be extremely difficult for you to leave the
city.”
In the South-East and South-South regions, the FCDO
warns against all travel to “the riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa
Ibom and Cross River states.”
The department stated that “militant groups are active
across the Niger Delta region and have carried out a number of attacks on oil
and gas infrastructure.”
It further cautioned that “there’s a high risk of
armed robbery, criminality and kidnap” in the region.
The advisory also raised concern over “secessionist
groups active in the South-East,” noting that “attacks and violent clashes
often occur with the military and other security forces” and warning travellers
that “although foreign nationals are not normally targeted, there is a risk you
could be caught in an attack.”
In the South-West, including Lagos, the government
described violent crimes such as “mugging, kidnapping, car-jacking and armed
robbery” as “common, particularly in the larger cities.” While large-scale
terrorist attacks are rare, “Islamic State West Africa claimed two attacks in
2022,” though none targeted foreign nationals.
Travellers were advised to “be cautious when
travelling in Lagos, particularly on the mainland,” and to avoid moving around
at night.
The FCDO concluded its guidance by urging anyone
currently in high-risk areas to “be alert and take any security advice given by
your hotel, employer or your hosts,” and to “make sure your safety procedures
and contingency plans are up to date.”
Nigeria’s security situation has been shaped by a
decade-long mix of terrorism, banditry, separatist movements, and communal
conflicts.
The Boko Haram insurgency, which began in 2009, continues to
destabilise the North-East, while armed banditry has surged in the North-West
and North-Central regions.
Separatist agitation in the South-East and criminal
militancy in the Niger Delta continue to pose threats, despite improvements in
some areas.
Recently, the United States President Donald Trump
claimed that Christianity in Nigeria faces an “existential threat” from radical
Islamist groups.
Trump stated that “thousands of Christians are being
killed” and announced Nigeria’s designation as a “country of particular
concern.”
He also said he had directed the Pentagon to draft
“options for possible military measures” to protect Christian communities in
Nigeria.
In response to the designation by Trump, the Minister
of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris had last week disclosed
that 17,000 terrorists were in custody.
He denied the allegations that Christians were being
persecuted in Nigeria.
0 Comments