Nigerian Police announced on Friday that they had rescued a media crew that was kidnapped in the southeast while en route to cover the Africa Cup of Nations match between Nigeria and Libya in Akwa Ibom State.
The southeast region of Nigeria has been plagued by violence, which the government attributes to a separatist group advocating for the secession of a part of the region, predominantly inhabited by the Igbo ethnic group.
Tochukwu Ikenga, the police spokesperson for Anambra State, reported that the crew, working for the South African broadcaster Supersport, was abducted by armed men on Wednesday as they traveled through Anambra State, an area known for separatist violence. The team had been traveling from Lagos to Uyo.
“Joint security forces successfully rescued six members of the media crew who were kidnapped while traveling along the Isseke-Orlu Road in Ihiala,” Ikenga said, adding that efforts to rescue a seventh crew member were still ongoing.
Supersport has yet to issue a statement regarding the incident. Armed groups in the southeast frequently target security personnel and government officials.
