TheCable

Nigerian troops have rescued 10 expatriates and four Nigerians in Rivers state.

The victims, including six Chinese, three Indonesians, one Gabonese and four Nigerians, were abducted around the coast of Gabon in February.

They were rescued on Saturday in Tombia, a creek in Bille waterways in Degema LGA of Rivers state.

Mohammed Yahaya, commanding officer of the battalion, while handing over the rescued persons to the Department of State Services (DSS) said they had paid their abductors $300,000 ransom before the troops moved in to rescue them.

“From preliminary findings, they were kidnapped off the coast of Gabon 7 February and brought into Nigerian creeks,” he said.

“A ransom of $300,000 was paid to secure their release before we came in.

“After that settlement, as they were about bringing them out of the creeks, they had issues that made them even susceptible to kidnapping again.

“So, men of the 29 Battalion, under the 6 Division, in conjunction with local vigilante launched that operation and were able to rescue them.

“They have a trolley, Socipeg, registered in Gabon. It was in course of their fishing activities that they were kidnapped.”

Yahaya added that the DSS is expected to do further investigations to unravel the circumstance and enable the army go after the abductors.