Kidnappers snatched a 3-year-old British girl from her vehicle
as it carried her to school yesterday in Nigeria's lawless southern
oil region, officials said.
Several attackers smashed a window on the vehicle as it sat in
heavy morning traffic in the southern city of Port Harcourt and
spirited the child away, a British Embassy official said.
He said the girl's father was a Briton working in Port Harcourt,
but gave no more details on the identity of the parents or the
man's employer.
In London, Britain's Foreign Office called for the "immediate
safe release" of the girl, identified by a Foreign Office spokesman
as Margaret Hill.
"We do not know who took her. We are in contact with her parents
and are providing assistance. High Commission officials are in
contact with the Nigerian authorities," the spokesman said on
condition of anonymity in line with government policy.
Nigerian security forces were investigating the case, said
Rivers state police Spokeswoman Irejua Barasua.
Criminal kidnappings have become common in the region, where the
crude in Africa's biggest producer is pumped. More than a dozen
foreigners are currently in captivity and more than 200 have been
taken since the end of 2005.
The targeting of women and children is uncommon, however, with
attackers generally focusing on male employees of large,
international companies that are presumed to have money for ransom
payments.
Yesterday's seizure was the first known recent kidnapping of a
foreign child in the Niger Delta, oil industry officials said. Two
other children, including one of a prominent politician, were taken
this year. Both were released unharmed within days.
Hostages are generally released unharmed after a ransom is paid
- often by state governments that control huge, unregulated
security slush funds, according to industry officials. At least two
hostages have been killed in the crossfire when security forces
crossed the kidnappers.
On Wednesday, gunmen attacked an oil rig in the southern oil
heartland and seized five expatriate workers: an Australian, two
New Zealanders, one Lebanese and one Venezuelan. Royal Dutch Shell
said it owned the rig, but that there were no production cuts
reported.
The two New Zealanders were identified as Bruce Klenner and
Brent Goddard by Klenner's wife, Linda.
(China Daily via agencies July 6, 2007)
