Lagos - The US
embassy in Nigeria on Thursday warned Americans about the threat of attacks by
extremist groups following the violence in Libya and Egypt, urging extra
caution.
The
"emergency message" issued to Americans living in Africa's most
populous country came after militants attacked the US consulate in Benghazi,
killing the US ambassador and three other Americans, hours after a mob attacked
the US embassy in Cairo.
"Extremists
may attempt to target US citizens and other Westerners in Nigeria," the
embassy said in a statement.
It noted that
radical groups in Nigeria have killed hundreds in recent months in attacks on a
range of targets.
"The
situation in Nigeria remains fluid and unpredictable," the statement said,
urging Americans "to consider their personal security".
On Wednesday,
Nigeria's police chief ordered "24-hour water-tight security" at all
foreign embassies.
The attacks in
Cairo and Benghazi were initially believed to have been perpetrated by mobs
outraged over an amateur Internet film made in America that insulted Islam but
US officials later said the Benghazi attack might have been planned.
Religiously-linked
violence has killed thousands of Nigerians in recent years. Radical Islamist
group Boko Haram is blamed for more than 1 400 deaths since 2010, while
sectarian clashes between Muslim and Christian communities have killed
thousands more.
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