‘Beware of protests, avoid crowds’, ‘Have three days of food and water’ – U.S. issues safety advisory to its citizens in Nigeria

The United States Embassy in Nigeria has issued safety advisory and precautions to its citizens residing in Nigeria with regards to February 25^th general elections in the country.

On the US embassy website, it issued an advisory titled “Security Alert – Possible Protests Leading to Elections and Restricted Movements on Election Days”  instructing  American citizens in Nigeria to “have three days of food and water in your residence in case movement restrictions are extended beyond election day, have a pre-packed bag that contains your travel documents, medications, toiletries, cash, and clothes in case you need to relocate from your residence” and  avoiding rallies as “they can turn violent with little or no notice”.

“Nigerian national elections are scheduled for February 25, 2023, and gubernatorial elections are scheduled for March 11, 2023. The government of Nigeria will restrict the movement of all personal vehicles on election days across the country. Information from the Government of Nigeria indicates that only law enforcement personnel and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)-accredited election observers will be allowed to move freely along the roads,” the update reads.

“Based on past election practice, we anticipate personal vehicles will be blocked from any and all attempted road movement from 00:00 until 18:00 February 25 and 00:00 until 18:00 March 11. Please be advised that movement restrictions may be extended at any time.  Be alert to the government of Nigeria information about the restrictions.

“Rallies and demonstrations are commonplace before and after elections.  U.S. citizens should avoid any of these types of events, as they can turn violent with little or no notice.

“Actions to take: have three days of food and water in your residence in case movement restrictions are extended beyond election day, have a pre-packed bag that contains your travel documents, medications, toiletries, cash, and clothes in case you need to relocate from your residence, avoid large crowds, be aware of your surroundings, keep a low profile and carry proper identification.”