..As Turkey delists Nigerians from e-Visa
Nigerian experts in international relations are worried about the deteriorating security situation in the country and the seeming inability of the federal government to tackle the menace.
Nigeria is ravaged by incessant terrorist attacks perpetrated by Boko Haram and their allies, the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP), coupled with banditry which has morphed into a criminal franchise of kidnapping for ransom.
The global community is already apprehensive about the spike in terrorist activities following last Tuesday’s attack carried out by ISWAP on Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. About 64 hardened commanders of the terrorist sect and over 1,000 other criminals were reportedly freed.
The daring assault on the facility and the ease with which it was carried out by the invaders without any countermeasures from the security forces suggest complicity from within the security circle.
These recent developments have prompted some countries within Nigeria’s diplomatic community to issue travel alerts to their citizens in the country and therefore dampening confidence in the country.
For instance, following Tuesday’s attack at the Kuje Custodial Center, the United States (US) Embassy on Wednesday warned its citizens in Nigeria against travelling on the airport road in Abuja. In a similar development, United Kingdom citizens were warned to be cautious of travelling to 19 States in the country.
Among the States are Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and Cross-River. They were advised to only embark on essential travel to Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa, Niger, Sokoto, and Kogi, within 20kms of the border with Niger, Kebbi State, Abia, and non-riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Plateau, and Taraba.
The Canadian government had earlier warned its citizens to avoid traveling to some states in Nigeria and advised them to be cautious of their movement in Abuja because of heightened criminality and terrorist activities.
In a similar development, Turkey on Thursday took action to bar Nigerian visa applicants seeking to go to the Republic of Turkey from accessing the e-visa provisions and advised them to instead apply via any Turkish Consulate.
It was gathered from prospective applicants about the sudden change without prior notice or communication from the Turkish Mission in Nigeria. But it appears the decision was taken following the incessant terrorist attacks in Nigeria and the high-security alert that followed the attacks on the Custodial Centre in Abuja on Tuesday.
