The Prince of Wales has canceled his trip to Jos in Plateau State, Nigeria, over security concerns, following months of deadly clashes between nomadic herders and farmers in the restive region.
Mailonline reports that Prince Charles and his second wife, Camilla, arrived in the Nigerian capital Abuja on Tuesday, on the tail end of a West African tour that has included Gambia and Ghana.
They were expected to travel to Jos on Thursday, the last day of their stay, to discuss peace-building and conflict resolution.
“Due to operational constraints beyond our control, we have decided at this time not to include Jos during their royal highnesses’ visit to Nigeria.
“We are delighted to have an exciting programme of activity in Abuja and Lagos which will showcase those issues close to the Prince’s and the Duchess’s hearts.
“The decision was taken upon advice from the Nigerian government and others involved in security and operational aspects of the visit,” said a British foreign office spokeswoman on Monday.
Jos, the Plateau state capital of about one million people, is nestled in the hills of central Nigeria and has frequently been the scene of violence.
Plateau state lies in Nigeria’s so-called Middle Belt that separates the predominantly Muslim north from the largely Christian south.
It has long been a hotbed of ethnic, sectarian and religious tensions that flare up during election season.
Nigerians are set to vote in hotly contested presidential polls in February 2019.
Earlier, President Muhammadu Buhari hosted Prince Charles and Camilla at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The couple were received at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammed Bello.
After the airport formalities, they were driven to the Presidential Villa where they were received by the President.
They arrived the Presidential Villa at about 2.20pm.
Buhari was joined by top government officials to welcome them.
After the welcome formalities, they retired into the President’s office where they held talks.
They did not address reporters at the end of the meeting.
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