Briton Kidnapped In The City Of Lagos

A yet to be identified British national has been kidnapped by gunmen shortly after landing at the international airport in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, a diplomat and a private security said Friday.

“There was a kidnapping of a Briton and we are working with the Nigerian authorities,” said Wale Adebayo, spokesman at the Deputy High Commission in Lagos.

He declined to provide any details, including the day the attack occurred.

A private security source familiar with incident however told AFP that the British man was abducted on Tuesday while traveling into the city after landing at the airport. The attackers opened fire on the vehicle and “the driver was injured by a gunshot,” before the Briton was seized, added the source, who requested anonymity.

He said there were strong indications that the gunmen were seeking a ransom payment.

There is typically heavy traffic well into the night on most roads leading from the airport in the Ikeja neighborhood towards central Lagos. It was not clear where the attack occurred, or whether there were witnesses nearby.

The kidnapping of foreigners for ransom is common in Nigeria, particularly around the oil-rich southern coast, and there has also been a rise in such incidents in Lagos.

In March a British man working for the French energy company CGG was kidnapped in the upscale Victoria Island area of the city. He was released days later, with officials refusing to confirm reports that a ransom had been paid.

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