NEWS

Foreign Ministry confirms Greek among seven foreigners kidnapped in Nigeria

The Greek Foreign Ministry confirmed on Monday morning that a Greek is among seven foreigners who were kidnapped in Nigeria on Sunday.

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 on Sunday.

Those abducted were a Briton, an Italian, a Greek and four Lebanese workers, including two women,

“We are in touch with the European crisis team and other relevant countries,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Grigoris Delavekouras told Skai TV on Monday morning.

“Our embassy personnel in Abuja are also in contact with other embassies and we have an airplane on standby to bring our fellow citizen home.”

No one took responsibility for the raid but northern Nigeria is plagued by attacks and kidnappings by Islamist groups. Al Qaeda-aligned group Ansaru, which rose to prominence only in recent months, claimed the kidnap in December of a French national who is still missing.

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 don’t know at this stage who is behind the kidnapping,” said Delavekouras.

The identity of the Greek national was not made public but Delavekouras said that his family had been informed.

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