US embassy issues Nigeria terror warning

The US embassy in Nigeria has issued an emergency warning to American citizens that an Islamist sect may be planning attacks on hotels in the capital.

The embassy issued the warning today, saying it "has received information that Boko Haram may be planning attacks in Abuja, Nigeria, including against hotels frequently visited by Westerners".

The warning said the US had no further information and that the Nigerian government was aware of the threat.

Boko Haram is waging an increasingly bloody sectarian fight against Nigeria's weak central government.

This is the second time the US has issued such a warning. In November, the US warned about a possible hotel attack in Abuja, which the Nigerian government widely dismissed.