"We have called on all Indonesian citizens in Nigeria to be wary and avoid areas that are prone to conflict. The Indonesian Embassy in Nigeria will continuously monitor the situation in the country and ensure the security of our citizens there. However, it must be noted that only some parts of Nigeria have been put under a state of emergency," Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Michael Tene said here on Wednesday.
Michael said there were now 360 Indonesians working in Nigeria, most of them with construction and plantation companies.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan recently declared a state of emergency in several areas that were hit hard by violence blamed on the Boko Haram religious sect and ordered the closure of part of the country`s borders.
He announced the measures after branding Boko Haram a "cancerous" body that was bent on destroying Africa`s most populous country and vowing that the group which was blamed for a wave of bloody attacks would be crushed.
"While the search for lasting solutions is ongoing, it has become imperative to take some decisive measures necessary to restore normalcy in the country especially within the affected communities," Jonathan said in a nationwide broadcast.
"Consequently, I have declared a state of emergency in the following parts of the federation," he said, listing parts of the states of Borno, where Boko Haram traditionally has its base, as well as Yobe, Niger and Plateau.
He also ordered the closure of the land borders of the affected areas to control "cross-border terrorist activities".
Later on Saturday, at least 50 people were killed in clashes between two neighbouring communities in Nigeria`s southeastern Ebonyi state, a government spokesman said, but the clashes were not linked to attacks by Boko Haram, he added.
"Upward of 50 people were killed when a group of people from Ezza community attacked residents of neighbouring Ezilo community over a land dispute," Onyekachi Eni told AFP by telephone.
President Jonathan`s earlier comments on Boko Haram were made on a visit to a Roman Catholic church in Madalla, near the capital Abuja, where 44 people leaving a mass were killed in a Christmas Day bombing claimed by the group.
Jonathan said the state of emergency was necessary "as terrorists have taken advantage of the present situation to strike at targets in Nigeria and retreat beyond the reach of our law enforcement personnel."
Nigeria has been hit by scores of attacks blamed on Boko Haram, but a wave of Christmas Day bombings particularly targeting churches which killed at least 49 people set off fear and deep frustration nationwide.
Nigeria, also Africa`s largest oil producer, is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south. The areas affected by the state of emergency are within Borno state, where Boko Haram has traditionally had its base, and neighbouring Yobe state in the northeast.
The other two areas are in Plateau state, in the country`s middle belt dividing the north and south, and Niger state, which is next to the Federal Capital Territory, which includes Abuja.
Borders affected included those in the northeast, where Nigeria shares frontiers with Cameroon, Niger and Chad.
A special military counter-terrorism force would also be set up, Jonathan announced.
National Security Adviser Owoye Azazi told reporters that the state of emergency would last "until the situation improves".
(T.A051/HAJM/S012)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
