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The Canadian high commission has said that it will probe the explosion that resulted in a fire at its High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, on Monday.
It also issued a travel warning against unnecessary travel to Nigeria, joining the United States and the United Kingdom.
According to reports, the Canada High Commission witnessed a fire outbreak that killed two people and injured two more.
The high commission via the post announced a temporary suspension of its operation after a section of the commission in Abuja was gutted by fire.
The announcement entailed that no operations towards the High Commission’s provision of visa and immigration services for persons seeking to visit or emigrate to Canada.
Also, there is no offer of services to Canadians visiting and living in Nigeria and to Canadians in Equatorial Guinea, as well as Sao Tome and Principe.
Melanie Joly, Canada's Foreign Minister, published a brief statement on X shortly after the incident, lamenting the victims of the explosion.
“We can confirm there was an explosion at our High Commission in Nigeria. The fire is out and we are working to shed light on what caused this situation. I send my heartfelt condolences to the families of the 2 people killed in this tragedy,” Joly said.
The Canadian High Commission in Nigeria also announced on social media that operations had been temporarily halted until further notice.
It attributed the decision to the country's unstable security environment and the substantial risk of terrorism, crime, inter-communal confrontations, armed attacks, and kidnappings.
