BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

06/05/2007

Woman kidnapped in Nigeria Belarussian: Minsk

Belarus said on Sunday that a woman kidnapped by unknown gunmen in southern Nigeria was a Belarussian national rather than a Russian as claimed by local police.

The woman, abducted on Saturday in the oil capital Port Harcourt, "was listed as a citizen of Belarus" in consular records, a spokesman for Belarus' foreign ministry told AFP.

"We have received such information and the consular department of the foreign ministry is making enquiries to determine this citizen's situation," the spokesman said.

He identified the woman by her first name, Irina.

Police in Port Harcourt earlier said the woman was a Russian working for a catering company.

Twenty-eight foreigners have been kidnapped in oil-rich southern Nigeria in the past week alone, although eight were released within hours.

Militant groups in the region do not normally kidnap women however.

Source:

http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=africa&item=070506122210.ssjrsvej.php