THE SMART NEWS SOURCE | Feb 11 2012 01:44 | LAST UPDATED Feb 11 2012 01:44
News | National | Foreign Affairs

M-Net confirms abduction of staff members in Nigeria

 JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - Mar 02 2010 15:36


M-Net on Tuesday confirmed that three of its staff members were taken hostage in Nigeria, and another was shot and wounded.

The company's head of corporate affairs, Caroline Creasy, in a statement said a bus carrying 21 crew members was flagged down by uniformed gunmen as it approached the Owerri Airport in Imo State on Sunday.

"The crew was forced to step out of the bus.

"Upon doing so, one of the Nigerian cameramen reached for his mobile telephone and was shot in the leg by the gunmen."

The cameraman was taken to a local hospital and was in a stable condition.

Three crew members -- Nick Greyling, an audio mixer (South African), Alexander Effiong, a Nigerian cameraman, and Bowie Attamah, a sports commentator from Nigeria -- were taken hostage.

The remaining crew arrived safely in Lagos.

"The contracted security company on the ground, and the Nigerian and South African governments respectively, are working together to ensure the safe release of the affected staff."

Greyling's family told the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) on Tuesday that he is alive.

CONTINUES BELOW


"What we do know is that he is still alive and that negotiations are under way for a ransom to be paid so that he can be released," said his father-in-law, RSG radio personality Johann Russouw.

Russouw told the SABC the family was holding on to the hope that Greyling would be safely returned.

"... It is so sad that the person who does no one harm whatsoever, that he must now be a victim of this very horrible abduction and unfortunate situation and we are just praying for his release and for his safe return to South Africa so that we could be united as a family again." -- Sapa
TOPICS IN THIS ARTICLE

Related Articles

Tags

Organisations

comment guidelines
  1. Please review our comment guidelines
  2. Post your comment in the block below and press "Post as ..."
  3. Please allow between 15 minutes and 48 hours for your comment to go live
  4. Racist, sexist or stupid comments will be terminated with extreme prejudice
blog comments powered by Disqus



LATEST ARTICLES IN THIS SECTION



Client Media Releases

@mailandguardian - Top stories & newsflashes
@NicDawes - M&G editor Nic Dawes
@ChrisRoperZA - Editor, M&G Online
@amabhungane - M&G Centre for Investigative Journ
@mgfeed - Our whole news feed


Advertisements