BAUCHI, Nigeria: Gunmen kidnapped seven foreigners and killed a security guard when they stormed the compound of Lebanese construction company Setraco in northern Nigeria’s Bauchi state early yesterday.
Those abducted were a Briton, an Italian, a Greek and four Lebanese workers, including two women, police and local government officials said.
No one took responsibility for the raid. Bauchi Police Chief Mohammed Ladan said the gunmen attacked a police station and a prison overnight before storming the construction firm’s compound in the town of Jama’are. “We repelled the attack on the police station and the security men at the prison yard also repelled the attack, but they burnt two vehicles in Jama’are police station,” Ladan said. “They then attacked Setraco construction, killed a local security guard and they succeeded in kidnapping people.”
Police said they were intensifying efforts to track down the kidnappers in the areas around Jama’are, a remote town around 480km northeast of the capital Abuja. Setraco did not respond to requests for comment. The Italian and Greek foreign ministries confirmed that one of their nationals was taken in the raid. Britain said it was investigating.
reuters
