Niger-Delta Militants kill soldier, kidnap two Foreigners

A Nigerian soldier was on Tuesday killed in a shootout with gunmen in oil producing Niger Delta area of Nigeria. A Lebanese construction worker was also kidnapped.

“One Lebanese, Ramzi Bau Hadir, aged 53 years, was kidnapped by the armed bandits,” said Butswat Asinim, a police spokesman in Bayselsa state. A resident said a second foreigner had been kidnapped but Asinim did not confirm this.

“It was a movie scene. The soldiers were shooting and the armed men were shooting,” a driver who gave his name as Monday said according to Leadership. “We later saw signs of blood everywhere.”

Pipeline attacks and violence have been on the rise in the swampland since authorities issued an arrest warrant in January for a former militant leader on corruption charges.