The Foreign Ministry said it had authorized the departure of some embassy staff in Nigeria due to the “deteriorating security situation” in the African country.
The development comes weeks after the US military reportedly deployed MQ-9 Reaper drones to Nigeria amid fears of a renewed insurgency by terrorist group Boko Haram. The day before the authorization was granted, gunmen attacked two villages about 155 miles (250 kilometers) from Abuja, where the U.S. embassy is located, killing 20 people, residents told The Associated Press.
“On April 8, 2026, the U.S. Department of State authorized the voluntary departure of non-emergency U.S. government employees and family members from the U.S. Embassy Abuja due to the deteriorating security situation,” the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria said. “The U.S. Embassy in Abuja will remain open, but will have limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Nigeria.”
“The U.S. Consulate General in Lagos will continue to provide routine and emergency services to U.S. citizens in Nigeria,” it added. “The Department of State Travel Advisory for Nigeria remains at Level 3 and advises travelers to reconsider travel to Nigeria due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, armed gangs and the inconsistent availability of healthcare services.”
Gunmen on bikes storm NIGERIA village ON PALM SUNDAY, LEAVING AT LEAST 20
Nigerian soldiers prepare for a patrol in Maiduguri on March 18, 2026, following a deadly triple suicide bombing that killed 23 people on March 16. (Audu Marte/AFP/Getty Images)
The embassy also said that “US citizens in Abuja should consider leaving if you do not need to stay for emergencies or essential purposes.”
The recent attacks took place in the early hours of Tuesday in Bagna and Erena, located in the Shiroro area of Niger State.
“They came on motorcycles and started shooting. It was a surprise attack because it was in the early morning hours,” Jibrin Isah, who lives in Erena, told the AP.
100 US troops land in NIGERIA as Islamist militants threaten regional security in West Africa
Police officers gather at the scene of Sunday evening’s attack by armed men in Gari Ya Waye community in Jos, Northern Nigeria, Monday, March 30, 2026. (Samson Omale/AP)
Residents said at least 20 people were killed and more were missing. However, local police said only three people were killed.
The State Department said in a travel advisory issued Wednesday that there is “a risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks and other activities in Nigeria,” adding that “Terrorists work with local gangs to extend their reach” and “They can attack with little or no warning.”
The MQ-9 drones were reportedly deployed in Nigeria in late March after 200 US troops arrived in February to provide training and intelligence. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, faces a complex security crisis, especially in the north of the country.
A spokesperson for AFRICOM, the US Africa Command, had told the AP that US forces “are working with their Nigerian counterparts to provide intelligence support, advisory assistance and targeted training in support of the Nigerian Armed Forces.”
Among the most prominent Islamist militant groups operating in Nigeria are Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, which has ties to Islamic State and is known as the Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP.
A U.S. military MQ-9 Reaper drone approaches for landing at Rafael Hernandez Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, on December 29, 2025. (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP)
There is also the ISIS-linked Lakurawa, as well as other ‘bandit’ groups that specialize in kidnapping for ransom and illegal mining.
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Minister of War Piet Hegseth also met with Nigerian National Security Advisor Nuhu Ribadu last November, amid Trump’s threats to cut off aid to Nigeria if the country “continues to allow the killing of Christians.” Nigerian officials have reversed the accusation.
