War Alert: FG Disclaims Travel Advisory To Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova

By Gideon Njoku

The Federal Government has denied a Travel Advisory in circulation which warned Nigerians not to travel to some countries till, at least, the end of May, 2022. It dismissed it as fake.

The forged Advisory, written in very poor English, and stripped of all diplomatic niceties, purported to have  been issued by the  Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a Press Release with Reference No: MFA/PR/2022/18, dated 18, February, 2022,  was, allegedly, signed by  a Mrs Esther Sunsuwa.

The warning, according to the release, became necessary because of the “war alert from the world power to its citizens to leave  those countries within 48 hours.”

As a precaution too, the Embassies and Consulates of those countries in Nigeria, it said, have stopped the issuance of Visas with immediate effect.

The FG, also, asked, according to the fake release, that Nigerians, “proceeding/intending to enter the above neighboring named countries between Russia and Ukraine should avoid such unbearable risk.”

The full text of the Press Release read:

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hereby advised, (sic) that all intending Nigerian nationals wishing to travel to Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova should be on hold until the month ending May 2022, as their Embassy and Consulate  have stopped issuance of Visa with immediate effect.

“Necessary to abide to the above, is the war alert from the world powers to its citizens to leave those countries within 48 hours.

“The fact is due to the unhealthy war alert that the world powers have given which may likely breakout unforseen war without further notice.

“Also, Nigerians proceeding/intending to enter the above neighboring named countries, between Russia and Ukraine should avoid such unbearable risk.”

However, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MFA,  has denied that any such Travel Advisory emanated from it.

In a Press Release entitled “Disclaimer Against Fake Press Release In Circulation” dated February 22, and signed by its Spokesperson, Mrs Francesca Omayuli, the Ministry said that the document with “a forged Reference Number and signature, did not emanate from the Ministry, and strongly condemned it.

The full text of the Release with Reference No; MFA/PN/22/ (1)reads:

“The attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs  has been drawn to a fake press release in circulation, dated 18th February, 2022, on a supposed travel advisory.

“The general public may wish to note that the document with forged Reference Number and signature did not emanate from the Ministry. The Ministry strongly condemns this mischievous act and urges the general public to disregard the content of the fake press release. Furthermore, the document in circulation, is not a true reflection of the authorized template of the Ministry.

“The Ministry’s authorized Press Statements are ALWAYS issued through official communication channels with the Media and on the following social media platforms via:

*Twitter: @Nigeria MFA

*Instagram:@ Nigeria MFA

*Facebook @foreignaffairsnigeria.

The fate of Nigerians, especially, students in Ukraine is not known, yet, as the Federal Government  seem not to have made efforts to secure, or evacuate them from the embattled country. A number of countries have evacuated their citizens from Ukraine’s capital, Kiev.