- France issued a fresh travel warning to its citizens after a series of violent attacks across multiple Nigerian states
- The French government identified Nigeria’s Northeast and Northwest as zones citizens must avoid at all costs
- A wave of abductions in Oyo State in May 2026 has raised fears that the terrorist threat is moving further south
France has warned its citizens that two regions in Nigeria carry an extreme security risk and should not be visited, citing a pattern of deadly attacks by jihadist groups that has now extended beyond the country’s northern belt.
The French government pointed to the Northeast and Northwest as the two regions Nigerian residents and visitors from France must avoid entirely.
Source: Getty Images
The advisory noted that jihadist groups have repeatedly carried out atrocities in both areas, making travel there too dangerous to consider.
Attacks that prompted the warning
The French authorities issued the reminder in the wake of specific incidents that have raised alarm in recent months. On February 3, 2026, massacres were carried out in the villages of Woro and Nuku in Kwara State.
Just over six weeks later, on March 16, 2026, an attack struck Maiduguri in Borno State. Both events were cited as evidence that the terrorist threat across Nigeria remains serious.
France said its nationals must understand that the risk from terrorist activity is high throughout the country, and that the two regions flagged carry the greatest danger.
Threat spreading South
Beyond the North, France drew attention to a troubling development in May 2026, when 39 students and their teachers were abducted in Oyo State. Authorities officially attributed the kidnappings to terrorist groups.
For France, the incident signalled that the security threat is no longer confined to Nigeria’s northern regions and is now pushing further south into parts of the country that were previously considered more stable. The French advisory did not specify a timeline for the warning or outline conditions under which it might be lifted.
Source: Getty Images
US issues ‘do not travel’ alert for 23 countries
Legit.ng earlier reported that the United States Department of State updated its global travel advisory, classifying 23 nations under Level 4: Do Not Travel, the most severe category in its travel advisory system.
The warning was announced through the department’s official TravelGov X account, where it stressed that the affected destinations pose extreme security risks or have limited capacity for the US government to provide consular assistance.
Source: Legit.ng