A German construction worker who was kidnapped in Nigeria’s oil city of Port Harcourt Tuesday morning has been freed unharmed, military sources said Wednesday. The German, who was abducted by gunmen dressed in military uniform while he was inspecting a road under construction, was freed Tuesday night, according to Lt.-Col Sagir Musa, the spokesman for the military task force deployed to the oil region to protect facilities and personnel However, it was not known whether or not any ransom was paid for the German’s freedom. In a related development, two children who were also kidnapped Tuesday as they were being driven to school have been freed. The restive region has recently witnessed an upsurge in cases of kidnapping, which the government blames on criminal groups seeking to extort money from individuals and companies. Over 340 people, including 11 children, were kidnapped in the region in the past year. Panapress.
