The Nigeria police said Saturday they have rescued one of the two sports journalists being held by suspected kidnappers in Owerri, capital of the country’s South-east Imo state.
Imo state police commissioner, Aloysious Okorie said the journalist was rescued during a raid of the kidnappers’ den, and that two of the abductors were shot dead in a gun duel with the police.
The rescued journalist, a Nigerian, is one of the three sports journalists who were abducted by gunmen last Monday as they travelled from Enugu, also in the South-east, to Owerri after covering a football league match.
The two Nigerians and one South Africa journalists are employees of the South Africa satellite sports channel SuperSport.
Another Nigerian journalist escaped from the kidnappers on Tuesday, leaving only the South African journalist still with the kidnappers.
”We are closing in on the kidnappers holding the South African journalist and very soon we will free him and get the suspects,” the police boss said.
Kidnapping for ransom is common in Nigeria, but those kidnapped are usually freed unharmed after ransom payment.