An Israeli businessman was kidnapped in Nigeria.
The 60-year-old man, an Israeli employee of a local real estate firm, was kidnapped by four gunmen at midnight on Tuesday from his home in the Nigerian coastal city of Port Harcourt. At the request of his family, he is not being identified.
The man’s driver has been arrested in connection with the kidnapping, according to Nigerian police.
The kidnapping likely was criminally motivated, since the area has been the scene of numerous kidnappings and smuggling in recent years. Israel’s ambassador to Nigeria, Moshe Ram, has been dispatched to the area and is in contact with local and tribal authorities.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued an advisory against traveling to Nigeria and East Africa, and there have been recent reports of Hezbollah activity in Nigeria. Earlier this month, Israeli officials announced that Hezbollah terrorists were planning to kidnap Israelis from sites around the world.
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