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2nd LD: Police confirm abduction of U.S. woman in central Nigeria

Xinhua, February 24, 2015 Adjust font size:

Local police in central Nigeria's Kogi state confirmed Tuesday that unknown gunmen on Monday kidnapped an American woman doing missionary work in the region.

State police spokesperson Sola Collins Adebayo told reporters that the gunmen stormed a school around 10 a.m. local time, shooting sporadically to scare away people before taking her away into the bush.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility.

Abduction is common in Nigeria, where more than 500 Nigerians and foreigners have been seized in its oil-rich Niger Delta region since 2006. Almost all have been released unharmed after paying a ransom.

Boko Haram, an extremist group based in northeastern Nigeria has claimed responsibility for many attacks in northern Nigeria.

The United States has always warned its citizens against travelling to some Nigerian states due to security concerns.

In a recent travel alert on Nigeria, it described the security situation in Nigeria as "fluid and unpredictable," and warned of the threat of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. Endi