Three Chinese nationals abducted in Nigeria, police say

By CHINEDU ASADU
Associated Press

MAKURDI, Nigeria (AP) — Police in Nigeria say gunmen have abducted three Chinese nationals working in the country’s north central region. They say the gunmen also killed two Nigerians who were working with the expatriates Tuesday at a hydroelectric power plant under construction in Niger state. A police spokesperson says the workers were installing a transmission line tower when the attackers arrived and opened fire. He says one of the Chinese workers and two local workers sustained bullet injuries. He said Wednesday that an “aggressive manhunt” was underway to rescue the three hostages. Workers in the southern oil-rich Niger Delta region are often targeted for kidnapping. Ransoms for hostages sometimes run into hundreds of thousands of dollars.