According to the ABC, three Australians and a New Zealand-born Australian resident were among five Macmahon contractors kidnapped yesterday morning in the Akpabuyo district.
However, reports differ with some news stories reporting that the group comprised two Australians, two Nigerians and a South African.
The group's vehicle was attacked and the Nigerian driver was shot dead, before the men were ushered onto a waiting boat.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is understood to be working with the Nigerian government to confirm the details.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Bishop told MNN that Bishop was due to speak shortly on the matter.
The ABC's African correspondent Martin Cuddihy told the AM program this morning that kidnappings were fairly common in Nigeria.
"This is a very wealthy part of Nigeria. But given the fact that the oil price has dropped considerably in the last couple of years, these criminal gangs have taken to abducting more and more foreign nationals in an effort to raise some money," he said.
Cuddihy told the program terrorist group Boko Haram was unlikely to be responsible for the attack, given it mainly operates in the north of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Macmahon shares have been halted over a "security incident at an operation in Africa".
The Perth-based contractor has a 6.5-year, $US105 million contract to perform all limestone mining activities at Lafarge's Ewekoro cement plant in Nigeria.
