BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

09/05/2007

Ransom for Belarus woman hostage in Nigeria unreasonable - KGB source

A Belarus' state security service (KGB) expert spoke out today against paying a ransom to militants who kidnapped a Belarusian woman in Nigeria, or her brother getting involved in the negotiations, news agency RIA Novosti reports.

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 kidnapped last weekend while returning from work in the country's main oil city of Port Harcourt. Gunmen stopped her car and took the woman away, demanding $1.2 million in ransom, according to news agency. KGB anti-terrorist centre expert told RIA Novosti that hostages were sometimes released if the ransom was paid, but this lead to more kidnapping incidents.

The source considers that in case Irina's brother travels to Nigeria to participate in negotiations for her release, such a move would be unreasonable as there will be a risk of being forced to pay a ransom for two people instead of one. Compass Group has informed that the woman was alive and in a satisfactory condition and that the abductors had made no other demands.

Source:

http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=1301