A British man who's determined to become the first person to run the entire length of Africa is now entering the 'most dangerous country' on his route.
After beginning his journey at the most southerly point in South Africa, runner Russell Cook has so far made his way through Namibia, Angola and the Republic of Congo.
He has so far been running for 180 days, all the while keeping his followers updated on X with pictures and posts about his condition.
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Today (19 October), Cook shared an update to announce to his followers that in the next few days, he would be crossing into a country for which he's 'had more warnings about safety than any other country on the route'.
The country in question is Nigeria, where kidnapping, violent crime, and inter-communal violence occurs in all regions, according to the UK government.
Other threats, such as terrorism and militant groups, are heightened in specific regions.
Cook will enter Nigeria in the South East; an area where the government notes there have been 'a number of attacks and targeted killings'.
"Some of these attacks have been on isolated roads and in remote locations, but there is a chance that they could occur in metropolitan areas," it adds.
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"Travellers to these regions are advised to exercise caution if travelling in remote areas at night and follow local news and information outlets for further information, including on local curfews."
As he prepares to enter the country, Cook commented: "Will be interesting to see what the reality is like. I’m excited to run through."
The runner has received support and encouragement from his followers, with one responding: "If you want me to walk miles in front and distract any bandits.. I’m keen."
Another added: "Good luck mate, you've got it."
Cook's latest challenge comes after he told CNN in May he was 'not daunted' by the prospect of running across Africa.
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“There’s no point worrying about it until it’s right in your face," he said. "We can plan and try to mitigate as much as we can along the way but none of these things keep me up at night. Handle the day, wake up, and handle tomorrow.”
After tackling Nigeria, Cook's planned route will take him to the western coast of Africa, through Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania and Algeria, before he comes to an end at the most northern point of the continent, in Tunisia.
As he closes in on six months of running, Cook said he 'cannot quite describe how much [he has] learnt in this time'.
"Been tested in ways I never imagined and humbled in ways I wasn’t expecting. Proper adventure," he said.
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"Harder than I thought? Yes sir. Still here? Absolutely. Making it to the finish line in Tunisia? Bet the f**king mortgage on it."
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