Nigerian Embassy warns citizens to desist from unnecessary travels in Ukraine

The Nigerian Embassy on Saturday cautioned citizens resident in Ukraine to desist from unnecessary travels in the troubled country.

The Nigerian Embassy in Ukraine had earlier on January 26 issued a statement notifying Nigerian citizens in Ukraine to take their individual and collective security seriously and ensure they always carry necessary identification.

Chairman of the Nigerians In Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, re-shared the statement of the Nigerian Embassy in Ukraine on her official Twitter handle on Saturday.

Dabiri-Erewa, responding to a question from a Twitter user @TheFavoredWoman on federal government’s plans for Nigerians resident in Ukraine following the rising tension over the escalating border conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, re-shared the January 26 statement of the embassy.

Dabiri-Erewa in her post referred the Twitter user to the Nigerian Embassy earlier statement. She declared: “@TheFavoredWoman, kindly note that the Nigerian Mission in Ukraine has since Jan 26th issued a statement asking Nigerians in Ukraine, particularly students, to follow the process stipulated in the release below.

“Please be informed that the Embassy will make periodic announcements as the need arises.”

The escalating tension in Ukraine compelled U.S., U.K. and other European countries to order their citizens resident in Ukraine to vacate the country immediately. Britain had on Friday ordered British citizens to “leave now while commercial means are still available.”

The U.S. White House National Security, Advisor Jake Sullivan, earlier on Friday directed Americans to immediately leave Ukraine, raising red alert of imminent Russian attack, which he said  “is likely, to begin with, aerial bombing and missile attacks that could obviously kill civilians.”

France, Germany, and others have intensified diplomatic dialogue with Russia to avert war in Ukraine.