Nigeria is a country of incredible diversity, warmth, and opportunity. From Lagos’s electric energy to the ancient walls of Kano, there’s so much to experience. But like any large nation with complex security dynamics, certain areas present genuine risks that even seasoned travelers and locals should take seriously.
This isn’t about fear-mongering. It’s about practical awareness. Knowing which places to sidestep can mean the difference between a smooth trip and a dangerous situation. Whether you’re planning business travel, visiting family, or exploring new regions, this information matters.
What follows is a straightforward breakdown of locations where safety concerns are highest based on recent patterns of violence, kidnapping, and general instability. Some of these might surprise you.
Places to Avoid in Nigeria
Security situations shift constantly across Nigeria’s diverse regions, but certain areas have consistently shown elevated risk levels over recent years. Here’s what you need to know about the locations that currently warrant the most caution.
1. Borno State (Particularly Rural Areas and Border Towns)
Borno State remains the epicenter of the Boko Haram insurgency that has destabilized northeastern Nigeria since 2009. The capital, Maiduguri, has seen improvements in security due to heavy military presence, but venturing outside the city limits puts you in territory where insurgent attacks remain common.
Towns like Baga, Gwoza, and Konduga have experienced devastating violence. Armed groups operate with relative freedom in many rural areas, and abductions happen frequently on roads connecting smaller communities. The humanitarian crisis here is severe—over two million people have been displaced from their homes in Borno alone.
Even journalists and aid workers operating in the region do so under strict security protocols. Military escorts are standard practice for any movement outside protected zones. The Nigerian government maintains a state of emergency across much of the state, which should tell you something about conditions on the ground.
If you absolutely must travel to Maiduguri for legitimate purposes, coordinate with security professionals, stay within the city, avoid any road travel after dark, and keep your time there as brief as possible. But for most people? There’s simply no good reason to take this risk.
2. Zamfara State
Zamfara has become synonymous with banditry and mass kidnapping. The situation here deteriorated sharply around 2018 and hasn’t recovered. Armed groups locally called “bandits” conduct regular raids on villages, attack travelers on highways, and abduct hundreds of people at a time—sometimes from schools, markets, and even mosques.
The numbers are staggering. In just the first half of 2021, over 1,000 students were kidnapped from schools across northwestern Nigeria, with Zamfara bearing much of this burden. Ransom payments have become a devastating economic drain on communities already struggling with poverty.
What makes Zamfara particularly treacherous is the unpredictability. Violence can erupt anywhere—in seemingly peaceful farming villages, along major highways, or in towns that felt safe the day before. The bandits are heavily armed, often better equipped than local police, and they operate from forest hideouts that security forces struggle to penetrate.
The federal government has imposed communication blackouts and other emergency measures, but these have had limited success. Until there’s a fundamental shift in security conditions, Zamfara should be completely off your radar.
3. Kaduna State (Southern Kaduna and Rural Highways)
Kaduna presents a complicated picture. The state capital is a major commercial hub with relatively functional security in the city center. But step outside Kaduna city, and the situation changes dramatically.
Southern Kaduna has been plagued by communal violence, often along ethnic and religious lines, for decades. Clashes between farming and herding communities regularly turn deadly. Villages have been attacked and burned, with civilian casualties in the dozens during single incidents. The cycle of revenge attacks perpetuates itself, and no lasting peace has taken hold.
The Kaduna-Abuja highway tells another story—one of brazen kidnappings. This major artery connecting the northern city to the federal capital has seen so many abductions that it’s earned grim nicknames among Nigerians. Armed groups set up roadblocks, particularly in forested stretches, and take travelers hostage for ransom. Train services were even attacked, most notably the devastating March 2022 assault that killed passengers and led to mass kidnappings.
If you’re traveling between Abuja and Kaduna, flying is your safest option by far. Driving this route means gambling with your safety in a way that the statistics simply don’t support.
4. Niger State (Shiroro, Munya, and Other LGAs)
Not to be confused with the neighboring country, Niger State in north-central Nigeria has seen a dramatic security collapse in recent years. What was once considered relatively peaceful has become a hotspot for banditry and kidnapping that rivals Zamfara and Kaduna.
Local government areas like Shiroro, Munya, Rafi, and Mariga have been particularly devastated. Armed groups attack villages with alarming regularity, steal livestock, destroy farmlands, and abduct residents. Schools have closed. Farmers can’t access their fields. Entire communities have fled their ancestral homes.
The Minna-Bida road and other highways cutting through the state have become hunting grounds for kidnappers. Travelers report being stopped at gunpoint, vehicles seized, and passengers taken into the bush. Ransoms typically run into millions of naira, and there’s no guarantee of safe release even after payment.
What makes Niger State’s decline particularly alarming is how quickly it happened. Five years ago, this wouldn’t have made anyone’s danger list. Now it’s one of the most volatile states in the country. Avoid road travel here, and if you must go to Minna, take extreme precautions.
5. Plateau State (Rural Areas and Flash-point Communities)
Jos, the Plateau State capital, has long been described as a potential powder keg. The city sits at the intersection of Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south, and this religious and ethnic diversity has repeatedly erupted into violence.
Riots in 2001, 2008, and 2010 killed thousands of people and displaced many more. While Jos city has been calmer in recent years, the underlying tensions haven’t disappeared. Flashpoints can reignite with little warning, and the pattern of communal reprisals remains deeply entrenched.
Beyond Jos, rural areas of Plateau State face persistent attacks. Villages in Barkin Ladi, Riyom, and Bassa local government areas have been targeted repeatedly. These attacks often happen at night, with assailants burning homes and killing residents. Survivors describe receiving no warning and having nowhere to flee.
If you’re visiting Jos, stay alert to local conditions and have evacuation plans ready. Avoid traveling to outlying areas entirely, especially those with histories of communal violence. The beauty of the Jos Plateau—its cooler climate and scenic landscapes—isn’t worth the risk that comes with being in the wrong place when tensions boil over.
6. Yobe State
Yobe shares Borno’s burden as a frontline state in the Boko Haram conflict. Towns like Damaturu (the state capital), Potiskum, and Gashua have all experienced significant attacks, including bombings, shootings, and abductions.
The 2014 kidnapping of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok actually occurred just across the border in Borno, but Yobe has suffered similar traumas. The 2014 attack on the Federal Government College in Buni Yadi killed dozens of students, a grim reminder that schools have been specifically targeted by insurgents in this region.
Security forces maintain a heavy presence in urban centers, and there have been periods of relative calm. But Yobe remains fundamentally unstable. The insurgency has proven resilient, adapting to military pressure by shifting tactics and locations. Rural areas are particularly dangerous, with roads connecting towns regularly attacked.
Any travel to Yobe should be considered high-risk. Without specific, urgent business there—and professional security arrangements—there’s no justification for putting yourself in this environment.
7. Parts of Rivers State (Cult-Affected Areas and Creeks)
Rivers State doesn’t fit the same profile as the northern states on this list, but it carries its own serious dangers. Port Harcourt, the state capital and Nigeria’s oil industry hub, has reasonably safe areas and others that are decidedly not.
Cult violence is a persistent problem. Rival groups like the Icelanders and Greenlanders have engaged in open warfare in some neighborhoods, with shootings and machete attacks claiming lives regularly. These conflicts tend to concentrate in specific communities—Diobu, parts of Rumuokoro, and certain waterfront settlements—but violence can spill outward unpredictably.
Then there’s the issue of the creeks. The network of waterways in the Niger Delta region harbors criminal gangs involved in oil theft, kidnapping, and piracy. Expatriate workers in the oil industry have been abducted from boats, platforms, and residences. Ransoms for foreign nationals run into hundreds of thousands of dollars.
If you’re in Port Harcourt for business, stick to well-secured areas, travel with proper security arrangements, and avoid unnecessary movement after dark. The creeks and riverine areas should be considered off-limits unless you’re with armed security escorts and have specific operational reasons to be there.
8. Katsina State (Border Areas and Ruga Settlements)
Katsina is President Buhari’s home state, which makes the severity of its security problems particularly striking. The state has become a major theater for the same banditry crisis afflicting Zamfara, Kaduna, and Niger States.
Areas bordering Zamfara—like Jibia, Batsari, and Danmusa local government areas—have been hit hardest. Bandits cross freely between states, attack villages, kidnap residents, and retreat to forest sanctuaries. The Rugu forest along the Katsina-Zamfara border has become a stronghold for these groups.
Schools have been raided. The December 2020 kidnapping of over 300 students from the Government Science Secondary School in Kankara drew international attention and underscored how brazen these attacks had become. Students have been targeted multiple times since.
Highways through Katsina are extremely dangerous. Travelers report bandits operating in broad daylight, stopping vehicles at will. Even large convoys haven’t proven safe. Unless you have compelling reasons to visit Katsina and can arrange substantial security measures, this is a state to avoid.
9. Taraba State (Mountainous Regions and Border Areas)
Taraba often flies under the radar compared to more publicized conflict zones, but parts of the state carry significant risks. Its mountainous terrain and borders with Cameroon create conditions where armed groups can operate with limited interference.
Communal conflicts have been particularly destructive. Clashes between Tiv and Jukun communities, between herders and farmers, and various other fault lines have produced cycles of violence claiming hundreds of lives. Wukari, Takum, and Ibi local government areas have been especially affected.
The Mambilla Plateau, despite its reputation for beautiful highlands and temperate weather, has experienced serious violence. Ethnic clashes in 2017 killed hundreds of people and displaced thousands. The remote location meant that security response was slow and communities bore the brunt of the violence before help arrived.
Road conditions in Taraba are also challenging—poor infrastructure combined with security risks makes travel genuinely hazardous. The state has potential as a destination, but current conditions make it impractical and unsafe for visits.
10. Certain Areas of Lagos (High-Crime Zones)
Including Lagos on this list might seem surprising. After all, millions of people live and work safely in Nigeria’s economic capital every day. But Lagos has neighborhoods where crime rates make them inadvisable for visitors and even for locals who don’t have specific reasons to be there.
Areas like Ajegunle, parts of Mushin, Oshodi (particularly the former motor park area), and certain sections of Ikorodu have elevated rates of robbery, assault, and other violent crime. Gang activity in some neighborhoods creates real danger, particularly after dark.
The key difference with Lagos is that you can largely avoid these areas while still experiencing everything the city has to offer. Stick to better-policed neighborhoods like Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lekki, and parts of the mainland like Ikeja GRA. Use reputable transportation services rather than random taxis or okadas. Be vigilant about your surroundings, especially when carrying valuables.
Lagos isn’t as dangerous as the way conflict-affected northern states are dangerous. But complacency gets people into trouble. The city rewards street smarts and punishes carelessness. Know where you’re going before you go there, avoid flashing wealth, and stay aware of who’s around you.
Wrap-up
Nigeria’s security challenges are real, but they’re also concentrated in specific areas. By knowing which states and regions present elevated risks, you can make informed decisions about your travel and protect yourself from situations that could turn dangerous.
The places outlined here warrant genuine caution—in many cases, complete avoidance. Conditions change, though, so always check current advisories before making travel plans.
Your safety depends on good information and sensible choices. Stay alert, plan carefully, and don’t let anyone pressure you into taking risks that don’t make sense.
