Kidnapped Israeli man rescued by Nigeria security forces

Israeli man visiting Nigeria as part of business trip kidnapped and held for ransom, before being rescued by Nigerian security forces.

By World Israel News Staff

An Israeli man visiting Nigeria recently was abducted and held for ransom, before being rescued by Nigerian security forces.

The kidnapped man, identified by Nigerian media outlets as Gil Itamar, was visiting Nigeria last week as part of a business trip for his employer, the engineering firm SCC.

Last Thursday, Itamar was driving down a road in southeastern Nigeria when he was attacked and taken captive.

Local authorities suspected that the kidnappers were holding Itamar for ransom, noting that kidnapping for ransom is common in that region.

Reports from Nigeria give conflicting accounts regarding the details of Itamar’s abduction, with police claiming that Itamar had been traveling with an escort of Nigerian national security personnel, who failed to prevent his kidnapping.

Police said Itamar was kidnapped Thursday morning, and was later freed by a joint effort of Nigerian soldiers and local police officers who “overpowered” Itamar’s abductors during a gun battle.

“After being overpowered by security forces, the kidnappers were forced to retreat and abandoned the hostage,” police claimed.

According to the national security forces, however, Itamar had been traveling without any escort.

The army also denied that any gun battle took place to free Itamar, claiming instead that army intelligence had managed to locate Itamar and secure his release peacefully with the help of local leaders.

“While we commend inter-agency cooperation, we urge the Taraba State Police Command to ensure accuracy in its official statements to avoid misleading the public and undermining security efforts,” a spokesperson for the army said.

Itamar was rescued roughly 24 hours after his abduction, the army claimed, and no ransom money was paid to secure his release.

Instead, the army claimed “strategic pressure” on village leaders was used to win their cooperation.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said that it was aware of the abduction and that the local Israeli mission “coordinated” with authorities to secure Itamar’s release.

“The Israeli Embassy in Nigeria and the ministry’s department for Israelis abroad coordinated the rescue of an Israeli citizen in the northeastern region of the country. The citizen is safe and unharmed,” said an official statement

Following his rescue, Itamar was sent to a medical center run by his employer, SCC, for treatment in the town of Takum.