Foreign missions in Nigeria and other international bodies have heightened security alerts for travels in the seven states making up the Northwest geopolitical zone following last month’s attack on a passenger train arriving Kaduna from Abuja, the Nigerian capital.

Multiple diplomatic sources and staff of international organisations in Abuja told our correspondent that though there had been travel advisories to states like Katsina, Zamfara and Kaduna, the alert level was upped across most embassies and other organisations over heightened fear of insecurity.

Foreign missions such as those of the United Kingdom, Canada, United States and a host of other countries have directed their staff to avoid travel to the zone. A similar ban is also placed by organisations such as United Nations, USAID, UNICEF, among others. 

The latest travel advisories were predicated on the recent attack on Kaduna International Airport, which was followed closely by the bombing of the Abuja-Kaduna train and attack on commuters and soldiers on guard duty along the Abuja-Kaduna Highway. 

Gunmen on motorcycles on March 26 attacked the Kaduna Airport as a Lagos-bound plane was taxing to take off, killing one staff of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA). Security operatives later said they killed 12 of the attackers. 

Two days later, on March 28, an explosive was remotely detonated as a train arriving from Abuja neared its final stop at Rigasa, Kaduna State. Gunmen then opened fire on confused passengers killing at least eight and wounding 26 others, according to official figures. An unspecified number of travellers was also abducted by the attackers. 

Some gunmen, believed to be among the assailants also attacked a military checkpoint on the Abuja-Kaduna Highway, around Tafa, killing six soldiers. The highway was also reportedly blocked by gunmen two days later, leading to a scare among travellers. But the Kaduna State Government said the gunmen sighted on the road were fleeing a military chase. 

A senior diplomat with a North American country told Daily Trust last week that her mission has up-scaled the alert level in the aftermath of the attacks dotting the last days of March.

“We cannot travel to the region again because Kaduna is the gateway. Even if one is flying to say Kano or Sokoto the protocol would have to go ahead with the car. Now we cannot risk anyone travelling through Kaduna,” she said.

According to her, it is now safer for diplomats to travel to Maiduguri than to the Northwest as going to the Borno State capital would not require sending an advanced party.

“We have cars and, in some cases, protocol staff that a lot of us can use in Maiduguri, but in a place like Sokoto, there is no vehicle for one to use, so we just have to suspend such travels, for now”. 

Another embassy official with a European country said the attack on the Kaduna Airport also sent a bad signal about travel in the area, making her own mission to put travels on hold. She described attacks on airports as “significant for our risk management plans. 

“It’s getting very difficult for us to travel in several states now. Our travel advice has changed to red for Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara,” the official stated.  

A USAID staff, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak, also confirmed that the organisation has drawn down on travels to the Northwest states for lack of “guaranteed security cover”. 

Another source at UNICEF said: “Any mission in Kaduna, Zamfara and Katsina is no longer authorized at the moment.”  

Daily Trust