Abuja: A Briton and an Italian abducted allegedly by a radical group in Nigeria last year were killed in a botched rescue attempt by British and Nigerian forces.
The Briton, Chris McManus, and his Italian co-worker, Franco Lamolinara were killed on Thursday after being abducted last year from their residence in Nigeria’s northern city of Birnin Kebbi.
They worked for Italian company B Stabilini in Abuja where they were handling a construction work at the country’s central bank.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan had blamed their deaths on radical Muslim group Boko Haram and said the killers had been arrested.
British Prime Minister David Cameron had given the go-ahead for a rescue after the UK received “credible information” about the location of the two hostages.
Nigerian authorities, with British support, had launched the attempt to rescue the men after “a window of opportunity arose to secure their release”.
An eyewitness told PTI the failed rescue bid took place in Mabera area of Sokoto metropolis where security operatives engaged some gunmen suspected to be members of fundamentalist Muslim sect, Boko Haram in a gun duel. (PTI)