The United States Embassy in Nigeria on Friday urged its citizens to avoid travelling to the country’s troubled north east states such as Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, which Boko Haram insurgents held by the jugular between 2009 and a few months ago, killing thousands and rendering millions homeless.

The warning is coming a day after operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) took custody of 21 out of the 218 students of Girls Secondary School, Chibok, a town in Borno State, almost 30 months after they were captured by militants of the sect in April in 2014. The girls were received by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja also on Thursday, on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is on a three-day official visit to Germany.

Friday’s statement by the U.S. embassy in Nigeria titled “Extremist Incidents in Borno State,” lamented that the extremists continue to conduct attacks in Borno and elsewhere within the region.

Specifically, US citizens were urged to “avoid travel to Borno, Adamawa north of the Benue River, and Yobe states.”

This, it noted, is in the “light of extremist incidents, including armed attacks on a humanitarian convoy travelling from Bama to Maiduguri on July 29 and a suicide bombing in Maiduguri on October 12.”

The embassy also reminded US citizens in the country “of the serious threat of violence and kidnapping in northeastern Nigeria, particularly Borno State.”

As a guide, they were therefore enjoined to review their “personal security plans, take appropriate steps to enhance your personal safety, remain aware of your surroundings, monitor local news for updates, and maintain a high level of vigilance.”

•Adapted from an Independent report. Photo shows US President Barack Obama.

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