“There’s a high risk of terrorist attacks across Nigeria by various militant groups. Attacks could be indiscriminate or may target foreign interests,” the travel advisory stressed.
VICTOR OLORUNFEMI FROM PEOPLES GAZETTE
The Australian government has warned its citizens against travelling to Nigeria over the high likelihood of terrorism and breakout of civil unrest.
Nigeria’s statistics bureau, in its December crime update, said an estimated 2,235,954 abductions occurred between May 2023 and April 2024. It said the average amount paid as ransom for kidnapping was N2.7 million per incident, with an estimated total ransom of N2.2 trillion paid within the reference period. The North-West reported the highest ransom paid with N1.2 trillion, while the South-East was the least with N85.4 billion.
“Reconsider your need to travel to Nigeria overall due to the volatile security situation and threat of terrorism, kidnapping, violent crime and the risk of civil unrest,” an updated travel advisory by the Australian government stated.
The advisory warned Australians against travelling to Adamawa, Anambra, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Borno, Cross Rivers, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Niger, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara due to the “volatile security situation.”
According to the Australian government, there is also a high threat of terrorism, kidnapping, violent crime and the risk of civil unrest in those states.
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