The Australian Government has advised its citizens to not to travel to Nigeria in view of what the government termed growing insecurity in the country.
A statement by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), on Tuesday, cited a volatile security environment marked by terrorism, kidnapping, and the potential outbreak of civil unrest as reasons for the advice.
Part of the travel advisory reade, “There’s a high risk of terrorist attacks across Nigeria by various militant groups. Attacks could be indiscriminate or may target foreign interests.
“Potential targets include places where crowds gather, such as hotels, bars, restaurants, political meetings, government buildings, places of worship, schools, markets, shopping malls, sporting events, transport hubs and networks, law enforcement facilities, international organisations, and camps for displaced people.
“Reconsider your need to travel to Nigeria overall, including the capital Abuja.
“Do not travel to Adamawa, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Borno, Cross Rivers, Delta, Federal Capital Territory (excluding Abuja), Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Niger, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara states.’
The travel advisory is coming on.the heels of the recent Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics(NBS),which reported 2,235,954 abductions between May 2023 and April 2024.
According to NBS, ransom payments during this period totalled an estimated N2.2 trillion, with an average ransom of N2.7 million per incident.
The North-West region, the Bureau informed accounted for the highest ransom payments at N1.2 trillion, while the South-East reported the lowest at N85.4 billion.
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