US cancels all visa appointments, orders staff to leave
The US Embassy in Abuja has announced the cancellation of all visa appointments, directing applicants to check their emails for details on rescheduled dates.
In a notice on Thursday, the Embassy said visa operations will continue at the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos.
The notice, however, said American citizen services were available by appointment or in emergencies.
The development comes hours after US Department of State authorised non-emergency US government employees and their family members to leave the Embassy in Abuja, citing a deteriorating security situation across Nigeria.
In an updated travel advisory, the Department advised Americans to reconsider travelling to Nigeria due to crime, terrorism, kidnapping, and civil unrest.
The advisory classified the overall travel advisory for Nigeria as “Level 3: Reconsider Travel,” while some states are at “Level 4: Do Not Travel.”
“On April 8, 2026, the Department of State authorized non-emergency U.S. government employees and U.S. government employee family members to leave U.S. Embassy Abuja due to the deteriorating security situation,” the advisory read.
“Reconsider travel to Nigeria due to crime, terrorism, unrest, kidnapping, and inconsistent availability of health care services. Some areas have increased risk,” it added.
Level 4 states that U.S. citizens are urged to avoid include Borno, Jigawa, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe, and northern Adamawa states, due to terrorism, crime, and kidnapping.
The advisory also listed Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara states, citing unrest, crime, and kidnapping.
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