An Israeli citizen was kidnapped over the weekend in Nigeria and rescued unharmed by local security forces, according to reports from local media.
The man, identified as Gil Itamar, is an employee of an engineering firm operating in the country. He was reportedly abducted on Thursday while driving on a road in southeastern Nigeria. Authorities suspect the motive was ransom, a common occurrence in the region.
Conflicting accounts emerged from Nigerian security services regarding the circumstances of his abduction and rescue. Local police said Itamar was kidnapped while traveling with a military escort. According to their account, he was taken Thursday morning and freed following an intense exchange of fire between the kidnappers and a joint police-military force. "After being overpowered by security forces, the kidnappers were forced to retreat and abandoned the hostage," police said in a statement.
The Nigerian military, however, offered a completely different version. In a statement by the army spokesperson, it was claimed that Itamar was alone in his vehicle at the time of the abduction, without any military escort as the police had stated. The army also denied that a gunfight took place during the rescue, emphasizing that Itamar was freed without a single shot being fired, thanks to an intelligence-based operation conducted in cooperation with local leaders.
"While we commend inter-agency cooperation, we urge the Taraba State Police Command to ensure accuracy in its official statements to avoid misleading the public and undermining security efforts," the military said.
According to reports, Itamar is currently at an SCC company medical facility in the town of Takum, located in the southeastern part of Taraba State, approximately 400 kilometers southeast of the capital Abuja and near the border with Cameroon.
