A top French diplomat in Nigeria has pleaded with all French citizens to leave northern Nigeria and areas around Abuja, after several threats were made to French nationals and interests by the Boko Haram Islamic sect following its military action/intervention in Mali. The Islamist militants have vowed to attack French interests following its military offensive in Mali against militants allied to al Qaeda. The diplomat said the threats of kidnappings coupled with Nigeria’s support for France’s action in Mali had raised the risks for French nationals.

A top French diplomat in Nigeria has pleaded with all French citizens to leave northern Nigeria and areas around Abuja, after several threats were made to French nationals and interests by the Boko Haram Islamic sect following its military action/intervention in Mali. The Islamist militants have vowed to attack French interests following its military offensive in Mali against militants allied to al Qaeda. The diplomat said the threats of kidnappings coupled with Nigeria’s support for France’s action in Mali had raised the risks for French nationals.

France has approximately 2,100 citizens living in Nigeria, of which approximately 340 live in or around Abuja the capital. In another development, the chief executive of “TOTAL” Christophe de Margerie confirmed on Friday that TOTAL has moved the remainder of its staff from Abuja following the kidnapping of a French national in a remote northern town close to the Niger border last month. This would be the first time in recent history that a company has said it is evacuating foreigners from Nigeria’s capital due to security concerns. The diplomatic source said TOTAL had asked 40 employees to leave Abuja. A Nigerian Islamist group said it kidnapped the French national and threatened to continue to target the French because of the country’s military action in Mali and its ban on the Islamic veil. The group also claimed responsibility for an attack on a military convoy taking troops from Nigeria to Mali last week in Kogi state, south of the capital Abuja.

Explaining the French advice to leave northern Nigeria, the diplomatic source said: “It’s down to a culmination of factors that this decision was taken: the threat of kidnappings on certain people, the French hostages, the commitment of Nigeria on Mali as well as the threats from Boko Haram.”

by Jerry Ladan

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Security Threats: French Nationals asked to leave Northern Nigeria and Abuja