Senate President Godswill Akpabio has responded to worries about the reported closing of the US Embassy in Nigeria. He said that these kinds of actions are not due to local political problems, but rather fears about global security.
It was reported that the United States Department of State had given the go-ahead for non-emergency government workers and their families to leave its embassy in Abuja on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, because security was getting worse all over Nigeria.
The department’s updated travel advisory said that the order went into effect on April 8, 2026. It told Americans to think twice about going to the country because of rising concerns about crime, terrorism, kidnapping, civil unrest, and inconsistent healthcare services.
During the opening of the new NRS headquarters in Abuja, Akpabio said that claims that embassies were closing because of the Nigerian election were wrong.
“Some people say that some embassies are still closing down.” He said, “Not many embassies are really closing; a lot of them are just afraid of what their enemies will do.”
He said that countries like the US may take steps to protect themselves around the world because tensions are rising with enemies like Iran.
Akpabio said, “For example, I can say that America is a little worried about a bomb blast from Iran, so they have to cut back on staff around the world in case Iran decides to attack their embassies.”
He told Nigerians not to connect these events to politics at home, especially elections.
“But people are saying, “Oh, Nigerian embassies are closing because the election is coming.” It’s not because the election is coming. He went on to say, “God will protect you no matter what happens in the election.”
Akpabio also told people that they were safe and that Nigeria is still safe even though things are uncertain around the world.
