FG Warns Nigerians Traveling to UK Amid Rising Violence After Concert Tragedy

The Federal Government has issued a warning to Nigerian citizens planning to travel to the United Kingdom, urging caution due to escalating violence following the recent murder of three young girls at a concert.

The advisory, released early on Monday, August 5th, and signed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Amb. Eche Abu-Obe, highlighted the increased risk of violence and disorder in the UK. The violence has intensified in the wake of the tragic incident.

The statement, shared on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ official X page, read in part: “There is an increased risk of violence and disorder occasioned by the recent riots in the UK, stemming from the killing of three young girls at a concert. The violence has assumed dangerous proportions, as evidenced by reported attacks on law enforcement agents and damage to infrastructure.”

It continued: “Demonstrations by far-right and other extra-parliamentary groups in parts of the UK in recent weeks have been large and, in some instances, unruly. These disturbances have only been aggravated by the unfortunate deaths of the three girls, spawning an anti-immigration narrative with particular emphasis on targeting Muslim immigrants or persons of color.”

On July 29, 2024, a knife attack occurred at a children’s yoga and dance workshop, resulting in the deaths of three children and injuries to eight others, five critically. Two adults were also critically injured. The incident has led to a surge in anti-Muslim sentiment and triggered Islamophobic protests and riots across the UK, described as the worst rioting in 13 years.

The Financial Times noted that the unrest is driven by a combination of Islamophobia, concerns about crime, anti-migration sentiment, xenophobia, nationalism, and perceived biases from the police and media.