Naharnet

Two Lebanese Kidnapped in Nigeria's Oil Region

Two Lebanese men have been kidnapped by armed men in Nigeria's oil-producing south, local media reported on Thursday.

Two policemen were also killed during the kidnapping operation at Bayelsa State in the Niger Delta, said the reports.

They said the men were armed with sophisticated weap­ons and came in two speed boats, storming the site of Pache Nigeria Limited, shooting sporadically into the air to scare people.

Eyewitnesses said the policemen engaged in a gunbattle with the assailants, but they were killed instantly.

The kidnappers then immediately grabbed the two Lebanese men and whisked them into the speed boats and escaped, they said.

The Niger Delta, home to Africa's largest oil industry, is made up of a network of rivers and creeks.

Criminal groups have a track record of speeding around on small boats and launching gun attacks on the security forces and oil workers.

Both foreign and Nigerian hostages have typically been released following a ransom payment.

G.K.

D.A.


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