4 Thais missing in Nigeria were kidnapped : officials
Four Thais have been kidnapped in Nigeria and their fate is still unknown, Thai authorities say.
The four Thais and two Nigerians were on their way to work at an Israeli-operated fish farm in the southern state of Rivers when the drama occurred.
The exact circumstances were unclear last night, but reports suggest the group was approached by men in a boat. During or after the kidnap, one of the two Nigerians with the Thai party died – may have drowned, and the other Nigerian is believed to have escaped.
“We have asked the Nigerian government, in its response to this case, to take into account the safety of Thai nationals,” Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul emphasised yesterday.
The message was relayed via Thailand’s Department of South Asian, Middle East and African Affairs, as well as the Nigerian ambassador to Thailand.
He said the Thai ambassador to Nigeria, Somchai Powcharoen, was closely monitoring the situation and gathering information on the four Thais.
“At this point, we only know they were working for an Israeli firm there,” he said. “We will gather more information and contact their families.”
It was unclear why the four were kidnapped. “We still don’t know whether it’s for ransom or something else,” Surapong said.
The Employment Department said there are 264 Thai workers in Nigeria, mainly in the oil industry.
Most kidnap victims in southern Nigeria are released unharmed after the payment of a ransom.
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