Abuja: Seven foreigners working for a construction company, mostly Europeans, were kidnapped by gunmen who also killed a guard in Nigeria's northern state of Bauchi, officials said on Sunday.
The attack last night happened in Jama're, a town in a rural part of Bauchi. Police and other sources said the abducted men were from Britain, Italy, Greece and Lebanon.
The gunmen killed a guard during their attack. They had earlier stormed a prison and also attacked two local government headquarters.
According to Bauchi state police spokesman, Hassan Muhammed, the person killed was a security guard they saw at the gate before entering the premises of the Setraco construction company from where they kidnapped the foreign workers.
Local government officials in Jama're, identified those kidnapped as one British citizen, one Greek, one Italian and four Lebanese.
Many attacks, including suicide bombings, killings and explosions in Nigeria's northern states have been claimed by Islamic extremist group, Boko Haram.
However, a new insurgent group, Ansaru has carried out most of the kidnappings of foreign workers.
A combined rescue operation by Nigerian and British forces for a Briton and Italian the group abducted last year, failed.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, February 17, 2013, 20:50