US Embassy Reduces Operations In Abuja For 10 Days, Gives Reason

The United States Embassy in Abuja has announced the reduction of public operations effective from Friday, July 16, 2021.

Naija News reports that the Embassy made this known in a statement posted on Facebook Thursday night.

According to the Embassy, the development is “a security precaution”.

It noted that July 20 and July 21 are holidays in Nigeria and the Embassy is scheduled to be closed on those days.

The Embassy said full public operations will resume on Monday, July 26.

Among the services to be affected are routine American citizen services, visas, and the Education Advising Center.

The Embassy advised Americans who may experience an emergency to contact the duty officer through the Embassy switchboard.

Recall that the federal government of Nigeria had declared next Tuesday and Wednesday are holidays to mark the 2021 Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, made the declaration in a statement on Thursday on behalf of the federal government which was signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore.

He congratulated all Muslim faithful and Nigerians at home and in the diaspora on the celebration, urging them to allow the lessons of the celebration reflect in their day-to-day activities.

“I call on Muslims to continue to imbibe the spirit of love, peace, kindness and sacrifice, as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) and to also use the period to pray for peace, unity, prosperity and the stability of the country, considering the challenges of insecurity we face at the moment. These mainly are bandits in the North West and North Central, insurgents in the North East, kidnappers, armed robbers, ethnic agitators, and sundry criminals in other parts of the country,” Aregbesola said.