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
