No ransom paid for the release of the Romanian abducted in Nigeria

Authorities have paid no ransom for the release of the Romanian engineer who had been kidnapped in Nigeria on Monday, says the regional Police.

The success and the immediate release of the Romanian citizen and of his colleagues would owe to the pressures exerted by the intelligence services on the kidnappers.

“They were saved on the Urhonigbe-Abraka road, in a verdured area. No ransom has been paid, no arrest have been made,” said Celestina Kalu, spokesperson of the Police in southern Nigeria, as quoted by Reuters.

However, the SunNewsOnline daily says that the Romanian engineer and other two Nigerians have been released due to the intelligence services’ pressures on the abductors.

The Romanian engineer Christian Nedelcu, 52, has been abducted by gunmen who swooped on him and others in Delta State.

The expatriate and his team were kidnapped at Railway Village in Owa Oyibo, Agbor, Delta State, dailypost.ng reports.

There was an exchange of sporadic gunshots at the scene of the incident between security escorts of the Romanian and the abductors after which the engineer was taken.

Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer, Delta Police command said that the incident happened at late hours of Monday and a search is ongoing in the village for the abducted engineer.

According to Delta Police spokesperson Celestina Kalu, the Romanian was employed by the construction company Dextron Nigeria.

There has been an open conflict in southern Nigeria since the 90s between the local groups who oppose the oil exploitations by the Western companies and the intelligence services. Starting 2004, many employees of the western companies have been kidnapped, and released after ransoms had been paid.