Two Canadians and two Americans have been kidnapped in northern Nigeria after their abductors killed two policemen in Kagarko.
Local media reported the four were ambushed by gunmen Tuesday evening. Citing a police source, Nigerian newspaper The Punch reported early Wednesday that a Canadian and an American were being escorted by police officers when they were ambushed.
“Two policemen were killed in the ambush while an American and a Canadian were abducted along Kwoi-Jere road, off Kaduna-Abuja highway,” the newspaper quoted the source as saying.
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A spokesman for the Kaduna state police told Reuters news agency the pair were travelling back from city of Kaduna to Nigeria’s capital city of Abuja.
“The two police escorts attached to them engaged the kidnappers in a fierce gun battle, which resulted in the unfortunate death of the two police officers,” police spokesperson Mukhtar Aliyu told Reuters by phone.
However, Global Affairs Canada told Global News the government is “aware of reports of the kidnapping of two Canadian citizens in Nigeria.”
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“Consular officials in Nigeria are in contact with local authorities to gather additional information,” Global Affairs spokesperson John Babcock said in an email. “To protect the privacy of the individuals concerned, further details on this case cannot be released.”
A police spokesperson later told Reuters that two Americans and two Canadians were in fact kidnapped Tuesday evening.
Nigerian Senator Shehu Sani condemned the killing of the police officers and the abduction of the foreigners, and called for an intensified search for those responsible.
“I received news report of the kidnaping of an American and a Canadian in Kagarko area of Kaduna state and the killing of two policemen,” Sani tweeted. “It’s condemnable. I call on all security agents to intensify the search for these men. My condolences to the families of the deceased.”
As Reuters points out, kidnappings are rife in Nigeria, where domestic security is weak, though they overwhelmingly target other Nigerians. However, abductions of foreigners are not uncommon.
The Canadian government warns against non-essential travel to most of Nigeria, citing an unpredictable security situation and warns against all travel to the northern and middle states, including Kaduna “due to the high risk of terrorism, inter-communal violence and kidnapping.”
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