Clinton said a "Pandora's Box" of weapons had been opened in North Africa, starting with Libya. She said militants who had fought for Gadhafi raided his "warehouses" and took weapons to Algeria, Mali, Syria and elsewhere. She said the US had tried to recoup the weapons it shipped to the Libyan rebels.

The Embassies of the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Canada on Wednesday advised their citizens not to travel to Nigeria for fear of insecurity.

The fresh warnings came on the heels of the deployment of troops in northern Mali.

The countries fear attacks on Nigeria by Islamic terrorists, who are supporting the course of for the Malian rebels.

The Canadian embassy on its website described the country’s situation unpredictable, saying there was a high risk of terrorism, crime, inter- communal clashes, armed attacks and kidnappings.

“Increased threat of attacks and kidnappings Military clashes are occurring in Mali between armed rebels and government forces. Since January 11, 2013, the French military has been assisting the Malian government in efforts to repel these rebels.

“Terrorist groups in the region have declared their intention to increase attacks and kidnappings, targeting Westerners. Citizens of countries supporting the military intervention are at particular risk, but all travellers should exercise increased vigilance in the region.

“There is a high threat of domestic terrorism in the northern states of Gombe, Yobe, Borno, Kano and Kaduna, where the extremist group, Boko Haram, which often claims responsibility for terrorist attacks, is based.

Says Nigeria has no territorial ambition in Mali

•Five beheaded in Maiduguri


President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday described the Islamic terror group, Boko Haram, as a threat not only to Nigeria, but also to the entire African continent and called for international efforts to curb its activities.

Jonathan, while fielding questions on a CNN programme, Amanpour, from the World Economic Forum, Davos said the sect was not fuelled by corruption or misrule as suggested by a section of the international community.

Earlier on Tuesday, the president, while addressing Nigerians resident in Switzerland, had explained that Nigeria’s involvement in the military campaign in Mali to rout Islamic militants from the Sahelian country was not for territorial gains.