Officials of the Bauchi State Police say seven foreign workers have been seized and a security guard shot dead by unknown gunmen who attacked a construction company site in northern Nigeria over the weekend.

Those nationals abducted include Italian, Filipino, Greek and Lebanese but there was a rumor of a Briton being included but the UK High Commission in Nigeria could not confirm or deny the rumor.

The UK foreign office spokesman said it was investigating reports of the Briton being included in the abduction so as to be able to act swiftly.

The attack happened in Jama’are, a town in Bauchi state where the gunmen first attacked a local prison, burning two police trucks, Bauchi state police spokesman Hassan Muhammed told reporters.

The gunmen then targeted a workers camp for Lebanese construction company Setraco, which is constructing a road in the area and shot dead a guard at the camp before abducting the foreign workers.

“The gunmen came with explosives, which they used to break some areas, and had wanted to cause more damage,’’ Mr. Muhammed said.

Italian news agency ANSA later said authorities confirmed an Italian had been abducted in Nigeria. It quoted Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi as saying the safety of the hostage must be given absolute priority.

Greece confirmed one of its citizens was abducted. A statement from Greece’s foreign ministry said authorities had a plane on standby to send investigators to Nigeria and that its foreign minister had been in contact with Terzi in Italy to know how to react to the incident.

“Two Greek police officers, liaisons in Greece’s Nigerian Embassy, are in contact with their colleagues of the countries involved and the Nigerian authorities,” the statement said.

No group has claimed responsibility for the abductions, though Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim north has been under attack by the radical Islamic sect known as Boko Haram and many in Nigeria suspect they might be behind this abduction.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

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