Pat Stevens/
The U.S. Department of State has suspended visa appointment services at its embassy in Abuja, directing applicants to check their email for rescheduled dates as security concerns continue to mount across Nigeria.
In an update issued by the U.S. mission, the embassy stated, “U.S. Embassy Abuja is closed for visa appointments. Applicants should check their email for details on rescheduled appointments.”
It added that visa operations at the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos remain ongoing.
The suspension follows the earlier decision by the Department of State to evacuate non-emergency staff and their families from Abuja.
In its advisory on April 8, the Department said, “Non-emergency U.S. government employees and U.S. government employee family members in Abuja are authorised to depart the embassy due to the deteriorating security situation.”
Despite the disruption to routine services, the embassy said limited consular support would continue.
“American citizen services are available in emergencies and by appointment,” it noted, indicating that critical assistance for U.S. nationals remains accessible under restricted conditions.
The travel advisory that triggered the evacuation cited widespread threats including terrorism, kidnapping, violent crime, and civil unrest.
“Violent crime is common throughout Nigeria,” the Department said, listing offences such as armed robbery, carjacking, assault, kidnapping, hostage-taking, and rape.
It warned that “Americans are perceived as wealthy and are often targets of crime and kidnapping.”
On kidnapping, the advisory stated that “criminal gangs have stopped drivers on interstate roads to rob and abduct victims,” while also warning that terrorist groups “continue plotting and carrying out attacks, sometimes in coordination with local criminal networks.”
The Department identified several high-risk states across the North-East, North-West, and North-Central regions, including Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Katsina, and Zamfara, urging U.S. citizens to avoid travel to these areas.
Parts of the South, particularly in the Niger Delta and South-East, were also flagged due to armed gangs, civil unrest, and a high incidence of kidnapping.
It further cautioned that attacks could occur without warning in public places such as markets, shopping centres, schools, hotels, places of worship, and transport hubs.
Health risks were also highlighted as a concern for travellers.
The Department noted that medical facilities in Nigeria “are generally not equipped to U.S. or European standards,” with limited access to essential medicines, unreliable emergency services, and a requirement for immediate cash payments in many hospitals.
“The U.S. government cannot provide emergency services to Americans in many areas of Nigeria due to the safety risks,” the advisory stated, adding that security operations may take place without notice and that communal violence remains a persistent threat in some regions.
The suspension of visa services in Abuja, alongside the evacuation of staff, signals a tightening of U.S. diplomatic operations in Nigeria’s capital as authorities respond to what they describe as a deteriorating security environment.
Applicants have been advised to monitor official communications for updates, while travellers are urged to stay informed and exercise caution.
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