The United States on Tuesday warned of possible attacks against
\nexpatriates and foreign visitors in Nigeria’s biggest city, Lagos, during
\npublic holidays marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.<\/p>\n
“The US Mission in Nigeria advises that groups associated with terrorist
\nactivity might be planning attacks against hotels in Lagos frequented by
\ninternational visitors, including those located on waterfronts, during the
\nEid-al-Fitr holidays,” it said.<\/p>\n
Tuesday and Wednesday are public holidays in Nigeria and the traditional
\nend of a month of fasting and prayer is marked by celebrations across the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
The US warning, posted on its embassy’s website, is unusually specific but
\nnot the first about possible attacks in locations frequented by
\nexpatriates.<\/p>\n
A similar security warning was given in December last year, while in May
\n2014 diplomats warned of a possible attack at two Sheraton hotels in
\nLagos, after a car bombing in the capital, Abuja, killed 19 just days
\nbefore a major economic summit.<\/p>\n
Similar warnings were given in April 2012 and November 2011 about hotels
\npopular with Westerners in Abuja.<\/p>\n
Lagos, a melting pot megacity of some 20 million people, has been spared
\nthe worst excesses of violence by the Islamist group Boko Haram, whose
\nseven-year insurgency has destroyed Nigeria’s northeast.<\/p>\n
But the southwestern coastal city has been hit before. On June 25, 2014,
\nexplosions ripped through the port area near a major fuel depot.<\/p>\n
The authorities blamed the blast on a cooking gas cylinder which exploded
\nbut eyewitnesses and Western diplomats said it was a car bomb that killed
\nat least four people.<\/p>\n
Boko Haram’s shadowy leader Abubakar Shekau later claimed responsibility.<\/p>\n
The US Embassy’s latest warning did not mention a specific group but urged
\nits citizens to “review your personal security plans, remain aware of your
\nsurroundings, including local events, and monitor local news stations for
\nupdates”, reports Newsweek.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The United States on Tuesday warned of possible attacks against expatriates and foreign visitors in Nigeria’s biggest city, Lagos, during public holidays marking the end of the Muslim holy month…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50923,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50922","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n