Nigeria has slammed the United States over its recent security advisory regarding hotels in the West African country.
The US warning is capable of causing ‘’needless panic’’ and damage to the economy, Nigeria's information minister Mohammed Idris said.
The US Embassy in Nigeria had issued a notice on Friday of “elevated threats” to major hotels in the country’s “larger cities,” but noted that Nigerian security services were working diligently to counter those threats.
“What we have seen is that such advisories do not achieve anything other than needless panic, and they can have severe adverse economic impact, not to mention what they do to undermine the government’s efforts to attract investment,'' Idris told a press conference on Monday.
Security threats
The minister emphasised that the government has consistently prioritised the safety and well-being of citizens and all visitors to the country, with ''comprehensive security levels'' in place.
Last year, the US issued a similar travel warning urging Americans to avoid travels to several states in Nigeria due to ''terrorist'' threats. Nigeria reacted angrily and the US subsequently scaled down the alert levels.
Experts also question the reasons behind such advisories by the US on countries around the world.
The Nigerian security forces trying to contain security challenges from armed groups including Boko Haram and kidnapping gangs in parts of the country.
