By John Ikani
The Ghanaian government has denied warning its citizens against travelling to the Nigerian capital Abuja over security concerns.
The denial became necessary after news outlets in Nigeria on Wednesday, circulated a notice that quoted Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration warning citizens against non-essential trips to Abuja.
The circulated notice indicated that Nigeria asked some hotels to close, citing “the directive by local authorities to hotels operating in residential buildings to shut down”.
The ministry allegedly said there was a “high danger of terrorism, criminality, inter-communal conflict, armed attacks, and kidnappings”.
In a statement disowning the travel advisory, the Ministry said it was not aware of any threat targeted at Ghanaians who continue to live in harmony with their Nigerian brothers and sisters in Abuja.
The statement reads: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration wishes to refer to the travel advisory published this evening, Wednesday 16′ November, 2022 advising against non-essential travel to Abuja and wishes to state that the statement was unauthorised.
“The Ministry is not aware of any threat targeted at Ghanaians who continue to live in harmony with their Nigerian brothers and sisters.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration regrets any inconvenience this may have caused to the travelling public.”
TRAVEL ADVISORY
RE: SECURITY UPDATE IN ABUJA, NIGERIA#GhanaMFA pic.twitter.com/bPNaanUfJP— Ghana MFA (@GhanaMFA) November 17, 2022
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The purported warning followed similar advisories by the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Germany, and others, since October.
The Nigerian military had managed to limit insurgents to northeastern Nigeria but terror gangs managed to infiltrate the North-West and North-Central in recent years.
Their incursion, largely through Niger and Kogi States, exposed the FCT where terrorists launched attacks at different times this year.
On July 5, the Medium Security Correctional Centre in Kuje was breached hours after President Muhammadu Buhari’s advance team was attacked en route to Katsina.
On July 24, a contingent of the Presidential Guards Brigade was ambushed along the Kubwa-Bwari road. Eight personnel and more than 10 insurgents died.
The military operation foiled the planned invasion of the Nigerian Law School and the nearby Veritas University, both in Bwari.
The attack coincided with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) alert that Abuja, Katsina, Kaduna, Kogi, Lagos and Zamfara were under threats.
A memo by Deputy Commandant General (DCG) of Operations, D. D. Mungadi said Boko Haram and Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) already mobilized fighters and weapons.
