Reuters AlertNet Lite - Gunmen kidnap 7 workers in southeastern Nigeria

Reuters AlertNet Full site

NEWSDESK

Gunmen kidnap 7 workers in southeastern Nigeria

14 Jul 2007 12:51:50 GMT
Source: Reuters

LAGOS, July 14 (Reuters) - Gunmen have abducted seven staff of a local dredging firm in the southeastern Nigerian state of Anambra, police and private security sources said on Saturday.

The workers were seized near the commercial hub of Onitsha located on the banks of the River Niger, late on Thursday and taken by speedboat to Enenchele Island.

The kidnappers have asked for "settlement", another term for ransom, from the firm for their release, security sources said.

Kidnappings for ransom, which are more common in Nigeria's oil producing Niger Delta, have spread to the southeast, where at least two Chinese workers and a number of local politicians and businessmen have been taken hostage this year.

The latest abductions followed the release of a 3-year-old Nigerian boy seized on Wednesday in the Niger Delta city of Port Harcourt in a rare case of child-kidnapping in Africa's top oil producer.

AlertNet news is provided by

Email this article Send comments

Countries

Small country map
© 2004 Europa Technologies Ltd.

Reset map

• Nigeria profile
· View map

MORE >>

NGO latest

• Severe Poverty in the UK
Save the Children - International Alliance

• Participating in the broader health agenda
International HIV/AIDS Alliance - UK

MORE >>

Latest news

• Gunmen kidnap 7 workers in southeastern Nigeria

• World Bank panel probing West Africa gas pipeline

• West Africa: WA: IRIN-WA Weekly Round-up 384 for 7 – 13 July

• NIGERIA: Privatising schools and national unity

• CHRONOLOGY-Nigerian militant attacks on oil industry

MORE >>

Last updated:Sat Jul 14 12:51:36 2007