Four Australians kidnapped in Nigeria attack

Macmahon is working to ensure the safety of three Australian workers abducted by around 30 militants who killed their driver.

Red marker points to city of Calabar, Nigeria.

Three Australians and a New Zealander with Australian residency have been involved in a kidnapping attempt by gunmen in southern Nigeria in an early morning attack.

The group, who are contractors working for Australian mining giant Macmahon Holdings, were attacked by around 30 militants as they drove across a bridge on the outskirts of the city of Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, at about 5.30am on Wednesday, local time. The local driver of the vehicle was shot and killed.

It is understood two of the group, including one Australian, were able to escape. Local media report the kidnappers escaped with the hostages in a boat.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has released a statement, confirming the Australian government is “working to confirm details of the reported kidnapping in Nigeria of four Australians, who have been working for an Australian mining company”.

“The Australian Government is in close contact with the Nigerian Government, which is taking the matter extremely seriously,” she said.

Meanwhile, Macmahon said it was working to ensure the safe return of all the men involved and is in communication with their families.

Counselling has been made available to all employees, it said.

Lafarge Africa, who is contracted by Macmahon Holdings, said it had been informed of the incident by Australian contractor Macmahon.

“Macmahon is working with the security agencies to resolve this situation,” said Viola Graham-Douglas, a spokeswoman for Lafarge Africa.

Macmahon has an $US18 million per year contract with the United Cement Company of Nigeria Ltd (UniCem) for quarrying operations at UniCem’s cement manufacturing plant at Mfamosing, near Calabar.

UniCem is a joint venture between Franco-Swiss conglomerate LafargeHolcim and Flour Mills of Nigeria, according to the Australian firm’s website.

Macmahon today placed its shares in a trading halt pending an announcement about “a security incident at an operation in Africa”.

Nigerian police are reportedly working to ensure the victims are released unharmed. The kidnappers have not been in contact with the police at this stage.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said one person was killed in the attack and seven others were kidnapped. The Australian high commissioner is on the scene and is working with authorities.

“We don’t know at this stage the identity of the kidnappers,” Mr Turnbull told reporters while campaigning in Geelong.

The families of those taken had been notified. Mr Turnbull said, for recovery prospects, the less he and Ms Bishop said the better.

“But it is a very serious kidnapping.”

Kidnapping for ransom has been a longstanding problem in southern Nigeria, particularly in the oil-producing delta region, where criminal gangs target wealthy Nigerians and expatriate workers.

With AAP