British woman killed in Nigeria kidnapping

KIDNAPPERS in Nigeria killed a British woman and a Nigerian man, and abducted three others in the northern city of Kaduna, local police and the British High Commission said yesterday.

Kidnappings are rampant in Nigeria, where both locals and foreigners are targeted, mostly for ransom.

The woman had travelled from Lagos as a tourist and was attending a party before the incident happened, police said. The British High Commission named her as Faye Mooney and said it was aware of the incident, which happened late on Friday, but added it would not speculate on the motive or nature of the attack. There has been no claim of responsibility for the incident and the kidnappers have yet to be identified, police said.

Ms Mooney was employed in Nigeria by Mercy Corps, a non-governmental organisation. Her next of kin have been notified, the British High Commission said.

“Some suspected kidnappers armed with dangerous weapons gained entry into a recreational resort called Kajuru Castle in Kajuru local government area shooting sporadically and in the process shot dead two persons, including an expatriate lady, and took away three others,” a Kaduna state police spokesman said.

The police did not name the other person killed.

Northern Nigeria is plagued by Boko Haram and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant insurgents, as well as clashes between farmers and herders in which hundreds have died.

“We are engaging with the Nigerian authorities, and we understand an investigation is under way,” the British High Commission said in a statement.