Nigeria gunmen kidnap foreign oil workers

Gunmen in Nigeria’s restive oil-rich south have attacked an oil rig, kidnapping a British, a Canadian and a Nigerian worker, security forces said Sunday.

The violence is the latest in a long line of attacks in Nigeria’s southern Rivers state, where kidnapping for ransom is rife.

Half a dozen gunmen attacked the rig on Saturday in the Ogbele area of Rivers state, firing weapons as they stormed in, grabbing the three men and then heading off into the thick forest and swamps around.

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“The victims are a Canadian, a Scottish man, and we have also been briefed that a Nigerian worker is also unaccounted for,” said Abdullahi Ibrahim, a spokesman for the government security forces, part of the team known as Operation Delta Safe.

“Efforts have been intensified, and are still ongoing towards rescuing the victims and arresting the hoodlums,” Ibrahim added.

The oil rig was reported to be operated by Niger Delta Petroleum Resources (NDPR).

In past such attacks, the victims have often been released after a few days once ransoms are paid.

On Thursday, gunmen kidnapped two Shell workers and killed two policemen guarding them, also in Rivers state. There has been no news yet on those hostages.