Nigerian army rescues 4 Chinese expats

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria

Four Chinese expat workers abducted in southwestern Ondo state have been rescued by the Nigerian army, security officials said Saturday.

“I am glad to tell you that they have been rescued alive,” Femi Joseph, a police spokesman for the state, told Anadolu Agency.

Local sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the expats were kidnapped Friday afternoon by militants who whisked them off to their hideouts in the creek.

A military special squad later rescued them after hours of gunfight.

Joseph did not confirm the arrest of any of the abductors.

Incidents of kidnapping for ransom have become rampant in parts of Nigeria with criminal gangs often targeting expats or top politicians.