Britons issued urgent update over Islamist terror threat in Nigeria under Foreign Office warning

Peter Stevens
Thu, 02 Apr 2026 02:10:22 +0000

Britons have been issued a new warning over kidnapping risks in Nigeria by the Foreign Office.

In an update on Wednesday, the department said the risk of being taken by terrorist groups in the country was high - with British nationals seen as legitimate targets no matter their reason for being in the country.

The Government has identified the main terrorist groups as the Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) and Boko Haram.

It said terrorists are likely to carry out kidnappings, which it warned are "widespread and could occur anywhere".

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Alongside tourists, British aid workers, journalists and business travellers, are all considered "legitimate targets" by Nigerian terrorists.

The new warning identified a range of locations where terrorists are likely to strike.

Just some of the list of places named by the Foreign Office include places of worship, markets, malls, restaurants, and Government buildings.

It also said to "take particular care" during election periods, periods of religious significance, or other public holidays.

The British Government will not make "substantive concessions" to terrorists in the case a Briton is kidnapped and ransomed by terrorists in Nigeria, the Foreign Office said.

Last month, Boko Haram was blamed for an attack in Maiduguri which killed at least 23 people and injured a further 108 in a suspected suicide bombing.

That attack was part of a series of attacks in the Borno State, including one which resulted in at least 100 women and children kidnapped, according to local media.

Nigerian Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume told the BBC the area had not seen such a "devastating attack" in a decade.

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In Borno State, NGO workers face an increased risk of being targeted for kidnapping, the Foreign Office said.

Boko Haram originated in Maiduguri in 2009 and the city served as the epicentre for the group's rise.

Other attacks mentioned by the Foreign Office include several significant attacks committed by IWSA.

In June 2023, the terrorist organisation carried out an IED attack in Nasarawa State, and in April of the same year, targeted civilians with an IED.

In February 2023, ISWA - an offshoot and rival to Boko Haram - bombed a local government office in Kogi State.

In November, Donald Trump classified Nigeria as a "country of concern", warning of widespread killings of Christians.

In a clip from the White House, the President warned: "Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria.

"Thousands and thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter."

"What horrible numbers," Mr Trump added. "Something has to be done."

Mr Trump went on to confirm the US military carried out a “powerful and deadly” strike against Isis militants in northwest Nigeria.