The elder brother of Nigerian and Everton football star Joseph Yobo has been released after being kidnapped by gunmen 12 German FM confirms 2 Germans kidnapped in Nigeria ...
Nigeria footballer's brother kidnapped ...
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Norum Yobo was seized at a hotel in Port Harcourt, the main city of the oil-rich Niger Delta region, where kidnappings for ransom are frequent.
The BBC's Oluwashina Okeleji says Norum Yobo has flown into Lagos and has been reunited with his family.
Joseph Yobo told the BBC he was happy his brother had been freed safely.
Our reporter says Norum Yobo was released on Wednesday evening, but it is not clear if a ransom was paid.
Police in Port Harcourt said the hunt for the kidnappers was still on.
Spokeswoman Rita Inoma-Abbey told the BBC they had earlier received a demand for 200m naira ($1.7m, Ј862,000) for Norum Yobo's safe return.
"We have the phone number and we're trying to track them down using that," she said.
Our correspondent says kidnappings - more often of oil workers - have become a common occurrence in the south of Nigeria.
Although Nigeria is Africa's top oil producer and the bulk of that oil comes from the Niger Delta area, the region remains deeply impoverished, he says.
(BBC)
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