Five Chinese workers were kidnapped in Nigeria's oil-rich and
volatile southern state of Rivers early on Friday morning.
A source in the Chinese embassy in the capital city of Abuja
said the victims were from a Chinese telecom company and that armed
kidnappers also stole property worth thousands of US dollars.
Li, an official with the consular department, told China
Daily that a group of six people were working on an
electricity project when they were attacked by the gunmen around 5
AM.
One worker managed to hide from the kidnappers and escape.
Li said the Chinese Foreign Ministry and his embassy had
launched emergency action to rescue the kidnapped workers.
He said the ambassador and embassy staff, as well as the
employer of the kidnapped workers, were in contact with the
Nigerian Foreign Ministry, the local government and local police to
secure their release.
No one has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping so far, but
Li said the perpetrators were expected to seek a ransom.
Armed robbery and abductions for ransom are common in the
oil-producing state of Rivers in Niger Delta.
Li said abductors taking Chinese nationals as hostages tend to
seek a ransom rather than pressing political demands.
This is the first abduction of workers from a Chinese enterprise
in the region, he said.
(China Daily January 6, 2007)