Indian woman kidnapped in Nigeria

Oct 14, 2010 |

Abuja

An Indian principal of a school in Nigeria's restive southern delta region, was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen who sped off with her after killing her driver and a police escort.

Lakshmi Tombush, the principal of Mobil Pegasus Schools in Akwa Ibom State, was kidnapped on Wednesday but the kidnappers are yet to establish contact with her family or demand ransom, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said in a report.

The school she works for is sponsored by oil firm ExxonMobil in the poor region where militants are running a campaign against foreign companies, demanding a better distribution of oil revenue.

The gunmen blocked the principal's car early morning on Wednesday in Eket, before killing a policeman attached to her as well as her driver, leaving their bodies abandoned in the vehicle.

Akwa Ibom State Police Command spokesman ASP Onyeka Orji was quoted as saying by the agency that the police was already on the trail of the kidnappers and that investigation was in progress.

Scores of kidnappings have occurred in the troubled oil-rich region in recent years. A school bus with 15 children onborad was hijacked last month in the region, and the school children were rescued after a police operation. Tombush serves with the Pegasus Schools, funded by Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), for staff children.

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