BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

17/05/2007

Belarusian kidnapped woman released in southeastern Nigeria

A Belarusian woman who has been held hostage in Nigeria's oil-rich but restive Niger Delta for 11 days was released on early Thursday, reports reaching Lagos said.

A security source who declined to be named said that the woman was being treated for injuries, including bullet wounds and a fracture which may require surgery.

Irina Ekpo-Umo, who is married to a Nigerian and is a senior manager with the local branch of the British services company Compass Group, was abducted on May 5 while returning from work in Port Harcourt, capital of southeastern Rivers State.

Viktor Goncharov, a diplomat with the Russian Embassy in Nigeria has also confirmed Irina's release.

Belarus has no diplomatic mission in Nigeria and the Russian Embassy assisted in handling the case at its request.

Since the beginning of the year, more than 90 foreigners have been kidnapped in Nigeria's Niger Delta region, the heart of production in Africa's largest oil exporter.

Source:

http://english.people.com.cn/200705/17/eng20070517_375553.html

Google