UPDATE: Briton Kidnapped, Nigerian Shot Near Lagos Airport

Lagos, Nigeria — A British national has been kidnapped near Lagos international airport, in Nigeria’s commercial capital, the British Consulate-General reported Friday.

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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.

Source: Washington Times