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Israeli kidnapped in Nigeria released unharmed

A man in his early 60s, forcibly taken last Friday from a suburb of the Nigerian capital, was finally released.

By: Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

The Foreign Ministry released for publication Tuesday that a 62-year-old Israeli citizen kidnapped by armed men four days ago in the suburbs of Abuja, Nigeria, has been released in good condition.

The man, who worked for an Israeli company in the African country, was taken after the kidnappers exchanged gunshots with his driver, eventually killing him and whisking away the hostage. It is unknown if the successful negotiations for his release included the paying of a ransom, and if so, what the amount was.

Israel’s ambassador to Nigeria, Guy Feldman, along with the CEO of the abductee’s company company and Nigerian officials, were all involved in the negotiations, according to the Foreign Ministry.

This was not the first kidnapping of an Israeli in Nigeria. In 2015, an Israeli citizen employed by a foreign infrastructure firm working in that country was kidnapped and held for five days in the jungle before his company paid for his release. There was no indication then – nor is there in the current case as of yet – that the kidnappers had any political motivation for their crime.

Over 200 foreign employees of various nationalities working for overseas firms have been kidnapped for ransom in Nigeria since 2006, mainly by militant groups looking to make a quick profit. Most were released unharmed.