Gunmen kill four soldiers, kidnap two Koreans in Nigeria

Summary:

• Unidentified gunmen abducted two Koreans, and authorities, including the Rivers State police spokeswoman Grace Iringe Koko, confirm the incident while investigations are underway; neither the military nor the South Korean company Daewoo have provided immediate comments on the attack, highlighting the recurring issue of kidnappings involving workers from Asian companies operating in Nigeria.

Gunmen have ambushed a convoy in Southern Nigeria, killing four soldiers, two civilian drivers and abducting two Korean workers, police said on Wednesday.

Kidnapping for ransom is common in Nigeria and foreign workers have been targeted in the past by criminal gangs, especially those working in remote mining or construction projects.

The latest incident happened early on Tuesday along Ahoada/Abua East-West axis in Southern Rivers State, police said.

“The attackers ambushed a convoy of vehicles conveying two Daewoo workers around 9:30am. Four soldiers escorting the Koreans and their two civilian drivers were killed in the attack,” a senior police officer in the state told AFP.

The weapons of the soldiers were taken away by the gunmen.

“The gunmen also abducted the two Koreans before fleeing the scene,” said the officer, who did not want to be named.

Rivers State police spokeswoman Grace Iringe Koko confirmed the incident but declined to give details.

“We are investigating the matter. We shall give you the details later,” she told AFP.

Neither the military nor South Korean company Daewoo were immediately available to comment on the attack.

Several Asian companies including from China and South Korea operate in Nigeria and are often involved with the country’s road and railway construction projects.

Some of these workers have been kidnapped for ransom in the past. The workers are often released after payment to their abductors.