The Nigerian army has arrested a militant gang leader and more than 50 of his followers believed to be behind the kidnapping of 19 people in the oil-producing Niger Delta, a spokesman said on Saturday.
The hostages, including two Americans, two Frenchmen, two Indonesians, one Canadian and 12 Nigerians, were freed late on Wednesday after being held by a gang leader known as Obese at a camp in Rivers state.
"We have arrested Obese and some of his boys, more than 50 of them," Timothy Antigha, a spokesman for the military taskforce which polices the Niger Delta, told Reuters. He would not elaborate, pending a statement to be issued later.
A security source said Obese had been detained with 51 of his followers after a shootout near Bonny in Rivers.
"The military has him and 51 of his boys and is presently transferring the criminals to Port Harcourt in military-escorted gunboats," said the source, who asked not to be named.
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