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http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_928.html

Travel Warning
United States Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Washington, DC 20520

This information is current as of today, Fri Dec 02 2005 02:09:09 GMT-0800.

NIGERIA

December 01, 2005

This Travel Warning for Nigeria is being issued to address increasing crime in Lagos, as well as unrest in the Delta region. The Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens of the dangers of travel to the country. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning issued May 20, 2005.

The lack of law and order in Nigeria poses considerable risks to travelers. Violent crime committed by ordinary criminals, as well as by persons in police and military uniforms, can occur throughout the country. In recent months, Lagos has witnessed a spike in crime. Some expatriates have been robbed in the outlying Lagos suburb of Lekki. In a working class section of mainland Lagos, an October 2005 clash between police and residents left several dead. Even Victoria and Ikoyi Islands, which are generally safer than other parts of Lagos, have experienced attempted bank robberies, and have seen an increase in smash-and-grab car robberies, including some involving expatriates.

Kidnapping for ransom of persons associated with the petroleum sector, including U.S. citizens, remains common in the Niger Delta area. The Delta region remains calm but tense following the arrest in London of a prominent governor on charges of money laundering, as well as the arrest of a local militant leader for treason.

Religious tension between some Muslim and Christian communities results in occasional acts of isolated communal violence that could erupt quickly and without warning. The states of Kano and Kaduna are particularly volatile. Rival ethnic groups have clashed violently in the Niger Delta region around Warri city and in Southeast Plateau State. Senior al-Qaida leadership has expressed interest publicly in overthrowing the government of Nigeria. Links also were uncovered connecting Nigerians to al-Qaida in 2004.

Periodically, travel by U.S. mission personnel is restricted based on changing security conditions, often due to crime, general strikes, or student/political demonstrations or disturbances. U.S. citizens should contact the U.S. Embassy in Abuja or the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos for up-to-date information on these restrictions. (See below for contact information.)

Road travel is dangerous. Robberies by armed gangs have been reported on rural roads and within major cities. Travelers should avoid driving at night. Because of poor vehicle maintenance and driving conditions, public transportation throughout Nigeria can be dangerous and should be avoided. Taxis pose risks because of the possibility of fraudulent or criminal operators, old and unsafe vehicles, and poorly maintained roads. Road travel in Lagos is banned between 7:00 and 10:00 AM on the last Saturday of every month for municipal road cleanup; police vigilantly enforce the ban.

Most Nigerian airlines have aging fleets, and maintenance and operational procedures may be inadequate to ensure passenger safety.

Some Nigerian-based criminals conduct advance fee fraud and other scams that target foreigners worldwide. These fraudulent activities pose great risk of financial loss. Recipients traveling to Nigeria to pursue such fraudulent offers have been subject to physical harm, and local police authorities are often unwilling to help in such cases. No one should provide personal financial or account information to unknown parties. Under no circumstances should U.S. citizens travel to Nigeria without a valid visa -- an invitation to enter Nigeria without a visa is normally indicative of illegal activity. Furthermore, the ability of U.S. Embassy officers to extricate U.S. citizens from unlawful business deals and their consequences is limited. Persons contemplating business deals in Nigeria are strongly urged to check with the U.S. Department of Commerce or the U.S. Department of State before providing any information or making any financial commitments. See the Department of State's brochures Tips for Business Travelers to Nigeria, and Nigerian Advanced Fee Fraud.

U.S. citizens who travel to or reside in Nigeria despite this Travel Warning are strongly advised to register through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. The U.S. embassy in Nigeria can be contacted by phone at [234](9) 523-0916. American citizens may contact the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos at 011 [234](1) 261-1215 during business hours. For after-hours emergencies call [234] (1) 261-1 414, 261-0195, 261-0 078, 261-0139, or 26 1-6477; website: http://nigeria.usembassy.gov.

U.S. citizens should also consult the Department of State's most recent Consular Information Sheet for Nigeria, the Department's brochure, Tips for Business Travelers to Nigeria, and the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, which are located on the Department's Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov. Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

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http://www.centcom.mil/CENTCOMNews/News_Release.asp?NewsRelease=200511134.txt

NEWS RELEASE
HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND
7115 South Boundary Boulevard
MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101
Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894
November 30, 2005
Release Number: 05-11-134

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KIRKUK WEAPONS CACHE STILL YIELDING AMMUNITION

TIKRIT, Iraq – Iraqi and U.S. forces have removed more than 4,200 mortar rounds from a major weapons cache found outside of an abandoned military base near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk Sunday.

The buried rounds were discovered by Iraqi Soldiers Sunday morning. The Soldiers removed about 800 mortar rounds before realizing that the cache was much larger than they originally thought. U.S. Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team were called in to help excavate the munitions and secure the area.

The ammunition was buried under concrete blocks with dirt mounded on top. All of the ammunition removed so far has come from one mound located in a field full of similar mounds. The explosives ordnance disposal team at the site expects to find more rounds as the search expands throughout the field.

“It was a good find,” said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Wayne, the EOD team chief at the site. “I’m glad we found it over someone else. All those rounds are potential IEDs. We just stopped that many more IEDs.”

The rounds will be destroyed in a controlled detonation.

THIS STORY HAS ACCOMPANYING PHOTOGRAPHS. TO RECEIVE THE PHOTOS, E-MAIL dallas.courrege@us.army.mil

CUTLINES:

TIKRIT, Iraq – Hundreds of mortar rounds await disposal. The weapons were unearthed from a huge weapons cache near Kirkuk by Iraqi and Task Force Band of Brothers Soldiers. More than 4,200 rounds have been removed from the site since Sunday. (US Army photo)

TIKRIT, Iraq – Iraqi Army Soldiers pose during a break from loading mortar rounds discovered Sunday near Kirkuk. More than 4,200 rounds have been uncovered over the past three days in a massive weapons cache outside of an abandoned Iraqi military base. (US Army photo)

For more information, please contact the 101st AIRBORNE DIVISION Public Affairs Office at EDWARD.LOOMIS@US.ARMY.MIL

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