The foreign ministry in Seoul said on Saturday that two South Koreans who had been kidnapped about three weeks ago in Nigeria by an unidentified armed organization had been freed.
Foreign workers have historically been the target of criminal gangs, particularly those engaged in remote mining or construction projects, and kidnapping for ransom is a frequent occurrence in Nigeria.
Yonhap news agency in Seoul reports that the two Koreans kidnapped on December 12 in southern Nigeria are workers of Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co., a significant South Korean construction company.
According to Seoul’s foreign ministry, South Korean authorities took control of them on Friday and confirmed their good health.
The men “have been moved to a safe area after a medical examination, and have spoken to their families” via phone, the ministry said in a statement sent to AFP.
According to the foreign ministry, their release was made possible by “close cooperation” between the corporation and the government in Seoul as well as “collaboration” with the intelligence, military, and police agencies of Nigeria.
it was not stated if a ransom was paid.
Seoul added in the statement that two local drivers and four Nigerian troops serving as bodyguards were slain by members of the armed organization during the abduction episode.
Gunmen ambushed a convoy of Daewoo workers along the Ahoada/Abua East-West route in Rivers State at approximately 9.30 a.m., according to PUNCH Online.
AFP
