Briton taken hostage in Nigeria

A British oil company worker has been taken hostage in Nigeria.

The man, who has not been named, was taken from his home in the city of Warri, in the south of the African country, on Friday.

He is believed to be employed by Sigma Ltd, an oil services company contracted to ChevronTexaco.

A British Embassy official confirmed the kidnapping and a Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of an incident involving a British national in Nigeria."

Ransoms

A police officer told Reuters news agency his abductors were demanding a ransom of 15 million naira (£72,865).

The man's car was found abandoned, he added.

The Foreign Office spokesman said the department was in contact with the Nigerian authorities about the incident and the next of kin of the British person involved had been informed.

The kidnapping would be the fourth reported case this month affecting oil firms operating in Nigeria's Niger Delta

Oil workers are typically released unharmed in kidnappings in the Niger Delta, after ransoms are paid to the abductors.

The delta region around Warri, Forcados and Escravos has been volatile for years and more than 20 people died in renewed fighting last week.