Canada is currently conducting an investigation into an explosion that took place at its embassy in Nigeria, resulting in the tragic loss of two lives, as confirmed by Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Monday. Ottawa, in solidarity with Washington and London, has also issued a travel advisory, cautioning against nonessential travel to Nigeria.
According to Joly, "We can confirm there was an explosion at our High Commission in Nigeria. The fire is out and we are working to shed light on what caused this situation." She expressed her heartfelt condolences to the families affected by this tragic incident.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu's spokesperson acknowledged the occurrence of deaths and injuries due to a fire at the High Commission of Canada on Monday, but specific figures were not provided. The statement from President Tinubu extended prayers for the deceased and wished a swift recovery to the injured individuals.
While the Canada High Commission in Nigeria temporarily suspended its operations without commenting on the explosion, they issued a travel advisory urging against non-essential travel to Nigeria, including the capital Abuja. This advisory is attributed to the unpredictable security situation prevailing throughout the country, with significant risks such as terrorism, crime, inter-communal conflicts, armed assaults, and kidnappings.
President Tinubu, currently focused on revitalizing the economy, is yet to outline a comprehensive plan to address the prevalent security challenges across the nation, including the longstanding insurgency in the northeast and rampant kidnappings for ransom in the northwest.
The United States and Britain had previously alerted of an "elevated threat to major hotels in Nigeria's larger cities" and cautioned against traveling to Africa's most populous nation. It is worth noting that Western countries frequently issue travel warnings about Nigeria, which the Abuja government often dismisses as lacking merit.
Source: Reuters
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