The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria warns Nigerian citizens of the continuing risks of travel to the U.S. and recommends that Nigerian citizens avoid all travel to Arkansas, California, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, Texas, Tennessee, and Wisconsin because of the large number of hate groups and/or the situation in those states being fluid and unpredictable. Due to the persistent threat of domestic terrorism by lone white wolves with mental health issues, the Nigerian government restricts travel by Nigerian government personnel to all areas where civilian Americans are allowed to freely purchase automatic firearms and limits the activities of Nigerian government and personnel and their family members while in New York, Atlanta, and Houston. (To be clear, they have guns and they kill people, especially black people.)
The Federal Government strongly urges Nigerian citizens in the U.S. to consider their personal security and to keep personal safety in the forefront of their travel planning. We know some of you who are very light-skinned or even mixed-race may think you will be exempt from this hate against black people. (This from years of being fondly called oyinbo in Nigeria.) You are sorely mistaken. In America anyone who is not 100% white is black. You are black. They will kill you if they catch you. We have warned you.
The ability of the Federal Government to provide assistance to Nigerian citizens in Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Missouri, Mississippi, New Jersey, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Wyoming remains severely limited.
The Federal Government continues to recommend against all but essential travel to the following states due to the risk of police shootings and brutality, drug gangs, racist attacks, white nationalists (Nazis), unhealthy fast food linked to obesity and diabetes, measles and anti-vaxxers, people who go on Jerry Springer, drive-by shootings, violence on black Friday, Donald Trump, Trump supporters and other similar dangerous things: Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Baltimore, Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Virginia, Kentucky, New York, Washington DC, Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming. The Federal Government also retains the warning from the previous travel advisory against travel in Ferguson because of the threat of riots and police whose basic gear resembles that of the army — we are not sure that much has changed. Worse, Ferguson has an armed group of white people called the Oath Keepers whose self-imposed mandate is to “defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic” and who normally show up when black people are protesting. Basically, white people protecting white people with high-calibre guns. The Federal Government cannot explain this. Just stay safe and out of Ferguson. The Federal Government also extends this warning to Charlottesville, Virginia where the risk is high from armed white racists addicted to confederate statues. Do not go to Charlottesville.
Based on safety and security risk assessments, the Embassy maintains restrictions for travel by Nigerian officials to those states listed above (and all other states with significant numbers of Trump supporters); officials must receive advance clearance by the Nigerian Mission for any travel deemed as mission-essential. Nigerian citizens should be aware that extremists could expand their operations beyond the south, mid-west and President Donald Trump’s strongholds and hotels to other areas of the country.
The Nigerian Mission advises all Nigerian citizens to be particularly vigilant around traffic lights, police vehicles, rallies full of white people (whether armed or not), white neighbourhoods (white people call the police when they see black people), Americans who refuse to vaccinate their children; locations where large crowds of black people may gather (as this may attract white police, Molotov cocktails, tear gas and murderous white nationalists). Security measures in the U.S. remain heightened due to threats posed by racist groups, Trump supporters, I.C.E. and the police in general. Since an extremist police group killed Michael Brown in August 2014, over 1,000 persons have been killed by police throughout the country. Do not say we didn’t warn you. Sometimes they kill you by choking you to death, breaking your spinal cord behind a police van, hanging you in a police cell and calling it a suicide or just shooting you point blank as you are reaching for your seat belt or playing with a toy gun. And definitely no toy guns.
2014–17 and beyond saw an increase in deaths by police in the U.S.. Although several hashtags went viral on the internet, police continued their killing without fear that the whole world could be watching. Sometimes, it didn’t matter that passers-by were filming the police brutality. These people just pull the trigger and explain later.
President Donald Trump continues to threaten that he will be harsh with immigration. Nigerians may find themselves at the receiving end of this. While the Federal Government’s prayers against the tragedy of Mr. Trump becoming president went largely unanswered, the Embassy continues to assure Nigerians that it will continue to respond to threats from President Donald Trump as much as it can. However, hold your return ticket just in case as there is no in-flight entertainment on flights specially meant for deportation.
Again, the U.S. makes it shockingly easy to purchase a gun. Even a person with a record of crime or mental illness can buy a gun. They love guns. This means that someone who hates Mondays can walk out of his or her house and go on a shooting spree in a school. The Federal Government cannot explain Americans’ love for guns. Be vigilant at all times. Someone whose girlfriend broke up with them may just shoot you.
Violent crimes occur throughout the country. Law enforcement authorities usually respond harshly especially when you are black (again it does not matter how light-skinned you are). A word is enough for the wise.