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Canada’s High Commission in Nigeria has temporarily ceased operations and issued a travel advisory against non-essential travel to the West African country.
The action came shortly after an explosion in a generator room at the Commission on November 6 in the capital Abuja, which killed two people.
The Commission said in a message posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that an investigation will be carried out, but said the incident was likely an accident rather than a deliberate act.
In a separate message also posted on X, the Commission warned against travel to Nigeria.
“Avoid non-essential travel to Nigeria, including in Abuja, due to the unpredictable security situation throughout the country and the significant risk of terrorism, crime, inter-communal clashes, armed attacks and kidnappings,” the message said.
The advisory comes after the US Department of State issued a similar warning over the weekend, citing an elevated threat to major hotels in Nigeria’s larger cities.
It advised its citizens to consider this warning when arranging lodging or visiting major hotels in Nigeria.
In September, the US also warned its nationals to reconsider travelling to Nigeria due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed gangs.
It cautioned that the U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to its citizens in many areas of Nigeria due to insecurity.
(Edited by Bindu Rai)
