The United States, which reportedly issued a security alert to its citizens on Wednesday, has stated that the alert was raised as a result of obligations of the Embassy to always inform US citizens of planned attacks.
While briefing White House correspondents in Washington DC, President Barack Obama’s spokesman, Mr. Mark Toner, said that the United States Embassy in Abuja has the rights to continue informing the citizens of the United States that live in Nigeria any time there is information regarding a planned terror attack.
“We did receive information that Boko Haram may be planning attacks in Abuja, Nigeria. I mean hotels frequently visited by Westerners. We don’t have any additional information regarding the timing of these attacks.
But as you know, in accordance with the Department’s no double standard policy, when we deem a threat to any U.S. citizen, we do issue these kinds of emergency messages,” Toner said.
When asked if the United States authorities informed the Nigerian government before raising the terror alarm on Wednesday, the White House spokesman said that he did not know that the government of his country would be obliged to do so, saying “I don’t know if we did in this case.”
The federal government had warned foreign envoys, embassies and organisations in the country to desist from the habit of raising the alarm and making security statements that are capable of creating panic.
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