Gunmen In Nigeria Kidnap Four Construction Workers

Gunmen in Nigeria kidnapped four construction workers in the OPEC member's southeastern Akwa Ibom state, security officials said on Saturday.

One of the kidnappers, who was dressed in a fake military uniform, and a police officer were killed in the attack.

A security official, who asked not to be identified, said he believed the four hostages, employed by Nigeria's Stemco construction firm, were from Lebanon.

"Four employees of Stemco, a company which is into road construction and has an asphalt plant, were kidnapped at Ikot Ekpene in Akwa Ibom state," the source said.

Police officials were not immediately available for comment.

Kidnappings for ransom are common in the Niger Delta, home to Africa's biggest oil and gas industries, with hundreds of incidents reported each year. Most victims are released unharmed after a couple of days.

Foreign firms, ranging from oil to construction to telecoms, are forced to spend millions of dollars a year on security for their staff because of the high crime rate in the Niger Delta.