Expatriates, Nigerians kidnapped by pirates regain freedom

Expatriates, Nigerians kidnapped by pirates regain freedom

Troops of The Nigerian Army 6 Division on Saturday, rescued ten expatriate workers and four Nigerians who were kidnapped by sea pirates off the Coast of Gabon.

In a statement on Saturday in Abuja, Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Yerima, said the rescue operation was carried out successfully and without any incident or casualties.

He said the rescued victims would be handed over to law enforcement agents for further profiling before they would be released to their loved ones

The Ten foreigners kidnapped in Gabon were reportedly rescued in Tombia, a creek in Bille waterways, Degema Local Government Area, Rivers state with a ransom of $300,000 paid for their freedom.

The victims, including six Chinese, three Indonesians and one Gabonese along with four Nigerians said to have facilitated their release, were rescued on Saturday by men of the 29 Battalion, under 6 Division, Nigeria Army with support from local vigilante.

Commanding Officer, 29 Battalion, Lt Col Mohammed Yahaya, gave preliminary findings at the 6 Division, Nigeria Army, Bori Camp, Port Harcourt, where he handed over the rescued foreigners and the Nigerian negotiators of their ransom and release to men of the Department of State Security (DSS) for further investigations on the incident.

Yahaya said, “From preliminarily findings, they were kidnapped off the coast of Gabon 7 February and brought into Nigerian creeks. A ransom of $300,000 was paid to secure their release before we came in.

“After that settlement, as they were about bringing them out of the creeks, they had issues that made them even susceptible to kidnapping again.

“So, men of the 29 Battalion, under the 6 Division, in conjunction with local vigilante launched that operation and were able to rescue them.

“They have a trolley, Socipeg, registered in Gabon. It was in course of their fishing activities that they were kidnapped. DSS are expected to do further investigations to unravel the circumstance and enable us go after the abductors.”