Gunmen Kidnap French National

A group of 30 gunmen, who stormed a residence in northern Nigeria where expatriate workers were staying, kidnapped a French citizen after killing two people, police said Thursday.

“I can confirm the abduction of a French national,” the Katsina State police chief, Abdullahi Magaji, told AFP of the incident late Wednesday.

“The kidnappers numbering about 30 stormed the residence where the engineers of Vergnet (French company) were staying,” he said, adding that a security guard and a neighbour were shot dead in the attack.

Vergnet, a company that specialises in alternative energy according to its website, was working on a wind power project in Katsina.

Abdullahi said the attack happened at a village called Rimmi, about 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the state capital, Katsina city.

“The gunmen later threw an explosive device into the police station on their way out of the town to distract the police from pursuing them,” he added.