In a statement, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade cited a volatile security environment marked by terrorism, kidnapping, and the potential outbreak of civil unrest as reasons for the advice.
The caution comes amid recent data from Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics, which reported 2,235,954 abductions between May 2023 and April 2024.
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 accounted for the highest ransom payments at N1.2 trillion, while the South-East reported the lowest at N85.4 billion.