Nigerian Air Force Rescues Seven Chinese Nationals Kidnapped by Bandits in June
In this Feb. 18, 2020, photo, Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service troops exercise under the supervision of British special forces during U.S. military-led annual counterterrorism exercise in Thies, Senegal.
Muhammad OsmanAuthorities in Nigeria launched a probe into the kidnapping of several people in June, including seven nationals of China who were attacked while working on a mine in the Niger state in the central region of the country. The attack, which left dozens of local workers dead, was the second abduction incident involving Chinese nationals in the state.The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has succeeded in rescuing seven Chinese citizens six months after they had been kidnapped by bandits at Ajata Aboki, Shiroro area of Niger state.In a statement signed by Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Affairs Emmanuel Umar, the Niger state government praised the 271 NAF detachment which carried out the successful rescue mission.The commissioner explained that a force consisting of 35 was tasked with the operation, which was carried out during the night. The bandits were forced to abandon their hideout and weapons and flee the area.The Chinese hostages were transported to the 271 NAF medical center for help before two of them were flown to the NAF Base Medical Hospital in Kaduna for further medical assistance.
“The Niger state government receives with great joy the reports on the rescue mission undertaken by NAF in rescuing seven kidnapped Chinese nationals that were kidnapped at Ajata Aboki, Shiroro LGA of Niger state, in June, 2022,” Umar said on Saturday. “The NAF has continued to record tremendous successes in its operations nationwide.”
In late June, a group of armed assailants attacked a mining site operated by a contracted Chinese company, kidnapping seven Chinese expatriates. At least 37 workers and security staff members were killed during the attack, along with dozens of people who sustained various injuries. That was not the first kidnapping incident to target ex-pats in Niger state, as armed gangs often attack them in a bid to squeeze huge ransoms from their companies.Umar noted that the Niger government would continue cooperation with all security forces in the country to insure the safety of the people in Niger state.
