U.S. Approves Evacuation of Select Nigeria Embassy Staff Amid Growing Security Concerns

The U.S. State Department has sanctioned the withdrawal of certain personnel from its Nigerian embassy, citing escalating security concerns in the region.

This decision follows reports of the U.S. military deploying MQ-9 Reaper drones to Nigeria amid rising tensions and fears of a renewed insurgency by Boko Haram. Just a day before this announcement, gunmen launched an attack on two villages approximately 155 miles from Abuja, the location of the U.S. embassy, resulting in 20 fatalities, according to local residents who spoke to The Associated Press.

On April 8, 2026, the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria issued a statement confirming the voluntary departure of non-essential U.S. government employees and their families from the Abuja embassy due to the worsening security situation. While the embassy in Abuja remains operational, its capacity to provide emergency services to American citizens is now restricted.

The U.S. Consulate General in Lagos continues to offer both routine and emergency services to U.S. nationals in Nigeria. The State Department’s Travel Advisory for Nigeria is still at Level 3, urging potential travelers to reconsider their plans due to ongoing issues such as crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, armed gangs, and unreliable health care services.

In a recent incident, Nigerian soldiers were seen preparing for patrol in Maiduguri on March 18, 2026, following a tragic triple suicide bombing that claimed 23 lives just two days prior. (Photo credit: Audu Marte/AFP/Getty Images)

The embassy also said, “U.S. citizens in Abuja should consider departing if you do not need to remain for emergency or essential purposes.” 

The recent attacks occurred in the early hours of Tuesday in Bagna and Erena, located in the Shiroro area of Niger state. 

“They came on motorbikes and began shooting. It was a surprise attack, because it was in the early hours of the morning,” Jibrin Isah, who lives in Erena, told the AP.

Police officers gather at the scene of Sunday night gunmen attack in the Gari Ya Waye community in Nigeria, Monday, March 30, 2026. (Samson Omale/AP)

Residents said at least 20 people were killed, with more missing. However, local police said only three people were killed. 

The State Department said in a travel advisory issued Wednesday that there is “risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks and other activity in Nigeria,” adding, “Terrorists collaborate with local gangs to expand their reach” and “They may attack with little or no warning.” 

The MQ-9 drones reportedly were deployed to Nigeria in late March after 200 U.S. troops arrived in February to provide training and intelligence. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is battling a complex security crisis, especially in the north of the country.

A spokesperson for AFRICOM, the U.S. Africa Command, had told the AP that U.S. troops “are working alongside their Nigerian counterparts to provide intelligence support, advisory assistance, and targeted training in support of the Nigerian Armed Forces.”  

Among the most prominent Islamic militant groups active in Nigeria are Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, which is affiliated with the Islamic State and is known as Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP.

A U.S. military MQ-9 Reaper drone approaches for landing at Rafael Hernandez Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, on Dec. 29, 2025. (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP)

There is also the ISIS-linked Lakurawa, as well as other “bandit” groups that specialize in kidnapping for ransom and illegal mining. 

President Donald Trump has spoken out against violence targeting Christians in Nigeria, telling Fox News Radio last year, “I’m really angry about it” and “What’s happening in Nigeria is a disgrace.”

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also met with Nigerian national security advisor Nuhu Ribadu last November amid threats from Trump to cut off aid to Nigeria if the country “continues to allow the killing of Christians.” Nigerian officials have pushed back on the accusation.