An Israeli man kidnapped in Nigeria was set free.
Nigerian police said Monday that Ehud Avni, a diabetic, was in good condition. He spoke to his family shortly after his release.
Avni, 60, a project manager for the Israeli firm Gilmor, was kidnapped last week by four gunmen from the driveway of his home in the Nigerian coastal city of Port Harcourt. He was being held for a ransom of $12 million.
Avni was returned to his home, located in an area that has been the scene of numerous kidnappings in recent years.
Israel’s ambassador to Nigeria, Moshe Ram, told the Ha’aretz newspaper that he did not believe that a ransom was paid. Ram had traveled to the area to assist in the negotiations for Avni’s release.
Reporting the stories that define our era. When history unfolds in real-time, the Jewish world turns to JTA. Your support ensures we can document the complexities of war and the resilience of Jewish communities with integrity.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
