The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has described the directive by the United States to evacuate its non-essential staff from its embassy in Abuja over worsening insecurity as a “bad omen” that should be treated as a national emergency.
ThelensNG reports that the U.S. Department of State, in its travel advisory issued on Wednesday, directed non-essential staff to leave the embassy.
While the overall travel advisory for Nigeria is classified as “Level 3: Reconsider Travel,” the advisory also classifies 23 states as “Level 4: Do Not Travel”, including Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, and Gombe States.
Consequently, the United States Mission in Nigeria announced on Thursday the suspension of visa appointments at its embassy in Abuja, while visa operations will continue at the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos.
Reacting to the development in a post on X (formerly Twitter) titled “U.S. Security Alarm on Nigeria: A Bad Omen”, Obi described the situation as deeply worrisome and reiterated that it should be treated as a national emergency, especially for a country already struggling to attract investors.
“Nigeria currently ranks fourth in the Global Terrorism Index, yet insecurity continues to worsen – lives are being lost and communities remain under constant threat. There is a glaring absence of effective governance; instead, what prevails are schemes that undermine democratic processes, as though politics has taken precedence over the safety of citizens,” he stated.
Obi also described the United States directive as a clear signal of declining confidence in Nigeria’s security architecture.
“Disturbingly, reports indicate the loss of yet another Army Brigadier General to terrorists in Borno earlier today,” he decried. “A nation where people cannot live, work, worship, or travel safely cannot progress or attract investment.”
Obi emphasised that the primary duty of any government is the protection of lives and property, but noted that Nigerian leaders have fallen short over the years. “Our failure continues to place immense strain on our troops, who make the ultimate sacrifices.”
He added: “Sadly, as Nigeria deteriorates, we as leaders, like Nero, remain preoccupied with politics, forgetting that without security, there is no nation to govern and no future to campaign for.”
