Nigerian gunmen kidnap officials

The gunmen texted news organisations to say their action was in protest at not being paid for helping the party to rig last April's elections.

They are demanding a ransom of nearly $4m. A PDP official indignantly denied the elections were rigged, and said the gunmen would be given nothing.

Hostage taking for ransoms is a regular event in the oil-rich Delta.

The men were seized on Sunday night in Ondo state while at a PDP meeting.

More than 200 expatriate oil workers have been kidnapped since early 2006 but nearly all were released unharmed in exchange for a ransom.

In the past few months, two young children, an 11-year-old and a politician's mother have been among the Nigerians kidnapped.

Militant groups have been conducting a violent campaign for residents in the states of the Niger Delta to get a larger share of Nigeria's oil money.

The relationship between the oil militants and the criminal gangs is unclear.