Kidnapped Nigerian Politician Freed

A senior Nigerian official kidnapped in the northern state of Kaduna last week has been freed unharmed, hundreds of miles away in Port Harcourt.

Waje Yayok, who is third-in-command of the state government, has now returned to Kaduna. The kidnappers had demanded a ransom of 40 million naira (£165,000; $266,000), although officials denied that any money changed hands.

Kidnappings are common around Port Harcourt but rare in northern Nigeria. Port Harcourt is the main city in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, where militants stage frequent attacks against oil installations.

There were unconfirmed reports that Mr Yayok was carrying a large amount of money on him to distribute to people for the the Muslim holiday of Eid when he was kidnapped.

—BBC