Reuters) – Three Chinese workers from an engineering firm have been kidnapped by unidentified attackers in Nigeria’s southern Cross River state, the official Xinhua agency said late on Thursday.
The trio from the China Civil Engineering Construction Corp were all taken from near a company compound in Calabar, the report said, citing company and embassy sources.
It gave no further details of what project they were employed on or whether their abductors had made contact with the firm.
Beijing said last year it would strengthen protection of its workers abroad after a series of clashes and killings highlighted the risks accompanying its international economic expansion.
Chinese workers have previously been kidnapped in Nigeria, and last year in Ethiopia, separatist rebels killed nine Chinese and 65 local residents who were searching for oil. Another seven were later released by rebels and returned home.
China needs resources in Africa to feed its economic boom. Chinese enterprises have invested billion of dollars in Africa, and are engaged across sectors, not just in energy and mining, but also in construction, infrastructure and textiles