Lagos, Nigeria - A British national has been
kidnapped near Lagos international airport,
in Nigeria's commercial capital, the British
Consulate-General reported Friday.
The unnamed person was believed to have been
captured shortly after leaving the international
terminal of Lagos airport, according to the Reuters
news agency.
The car he was travelling in was attacked by
gunmen as it left the airport's international
terminal at around 8:30pm on Tuesday. It is
thought the man was returning to a residential
area of Lagos when the kidnapping took place.
A Nigerian man who was driving the car was shot
in the attack but his injuries were not fatal,
security sources said.
Spokesman Wale Adebayo said diplomats are
working with Nigerian authorities on the
kidnapping which took place earlier this week.
The British High Commission (BHM) in Lagos told
Reuters it was "working closely with others to
secure the release of the hostage. Because of the
nature of this incident, the BHM is not going into
further detail about it."
There was no indication of where the kidnapped
man was employed.
Major companies with British connections
operating in Nigeria include oil giant Royal Dutch
Shell, British Airways, Unilever and
PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Kidnappings for ransom are relatively common in
oil-rich Nigeria - both of foreigners and wealthy
Nigerians.
The son of a state legislator and four Chinese
nationals in two different states all have been
reported kidnapped this month.
Some cases are not reported because of fears for
the safety of the hostages.
Most are released unharmed after ransoms have
been paid, though people have been injured and
killed if they resist.