US orders diplomats' families to depart Abuja

ABUJA, Nigeria

The US has ordered its non-emergency staff and families to leave the Nigerian capital, citing a risk of "heightened terror attacks."  

The United States on Thursday ordered its non-emergency diplomatic staff and families of government employees to leave Nigeria's capital Abuja due to a "heightened risk of terrorist attacks."

The announcement came only two days after the department said that — amid concerns — it would permit nonessential staff at the embassy in Abuja to leave voluntarily. 

The order to leave the capital was announced on Thursday in a revised State Department advisory which warned American citizens to reconsider travel to the African nation due to terrorism, crime, and other threats.

"The department (has) ordered the departure of family members of US government employees from Abuja due to the heightened risk of terrorist attacks there,'' the advisory said.

The US State Department did not specify what the likely targets might be. However, a country summary for Nigeria warns that "terrorists may attack with little or no warning," targeting malls, markets, hotels, restaurants, bars or schools."

The security move comes just days after the embassy on Sunday called on US citizens to limit their movements due to an "elevated risk of terror attacks in Nigeria, specifically in Abuja". 

The US embassy in Abuja had warned of an "elevated risk of terror attacks'' in the city, with possible
targets include government buildings, places of worship and other public places.

It urged Americans there to avoid all nonessential movements and crowds. Britain, Canada and Australia had repeated the warning.

Nigeria has been in conflict with an Islamic insurgency in its northeast for over a decade.

While Abuja — home to six million people — has been seen as safe, insurgents linked to the so-called "Islamic State" have claimed several attacks in the areas surrounding the capital in the last six months.

The Department of State Services —Nigeria's secret and intelligence police — has urged calm, saying that "necessary precautions'' are being taken to prevent such attacks. - Agencies