Militants Kidnap 4 Persons In Nigeria

Three British people and a Colombian have been seized in Nigeria's oil-rich Delta region, security sources say.

Kidnappers snatched the four near the city of Port Harcourt, reportedly killing a Nigerian guard.

The oil-producing region is notorious for kidnappings by militants, who demand a greater share of its wealth. But the Delta has been relatively calm, since most major militant groups agreed to lay down their arms last year after the government offered an amnesty.

Reuters news agency reported that gunmen snatched the four yesterday morning as they made their way to work at a power plant.

Sources told Reuters that a Nigerian security officer was killed in the incident. No group has yet claimed to have carried out the kidnap.

Militants in the Niger Delta have cost Nigeria's oil industry millions of dollars over the years.

A variety of groups claimed to be fighting for the rights of local people to gain a greater share of the region's wealth.

But in reality, many of the groups steal oil from pipelines, extract ransoms from kidnaps and use the money to arm themselves and finance more attacks. — BBC