The Nigerian Police in Bayelsa state on Friday said it rescued two Lebanese construction workers abducted by eight gunmen in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa.

The command’s spokesman, Mr Asinim Butswat, said that the Lebanese were freed on Thursday following massive crackdown by combined security forces in the area.

“The two Lebanese, Ibrahim Abi Phrem and Sarkis Abi Chimooni, all male, were kidnapped on June 24, at Ogbia Local Government Area.
They were rescued at Okodi in Ogbia riverine community on 25 June 2015 where they were abandoned by the kidnappers due to massive manhunt by police.

“They are hale and hearty and have been reunited with their families.Efforts are being intensified to arrest the kidnappers,” Butswat said.

Unidentified gunmen on Wednesday afternoon killed two policemen and abducted the two Lebanese nationals in Onuegbum community.

The slain policemen were attached to Pache Construction Company, employers to the abductees.

The eight gunmen, according to residents who witnessed the incident, arrived the community at about 12.20 p.m. through the waterway in two speed boats.

The gunmen reportedly besieged the sand dredging site and shot repeatedly into the air to scare passersby and other dredging workers in the area who escaped to safety.

The two policemen responded with gunshots, but were killed by the volley of shots released by the armed men.

Butswat said the corpses of the policemen were deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa for autopsy.

Butswat also said that efforts were being intensified to arrest the kidnappers and bring them to book.