The United States has canceled a terror alert that warned citizens to stay away from three luxury hotels in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.
The U.S. Embassy said it called off the warning because of increased security around the Hilton, NICON and Sheraton hotels, as well as around government buildings and major roads.
The embassy said Sunday the radical Islamist sect known as Boko Haram planned to attack the hotels and other sites in the capital.
The Nigerian government criticized the move, saying the U.S. warning was not based on new information and was unnecessarily spreading panic.
Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks in northern Nigeria that have killed more than 100 people since Friday.
The group has also claimed responsibility for an August 26 attack on the United Nations headquarters in Abuja that killed more than 20 people.
Boko Haram militants say they are fighting to establish a strict Islamic state in the north. The group does not recognize the oil-rich country's government or its constitution.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
