Nigerian kidnappers free Anglican archbishop

One of Nigeria's most senior Anglican clerics, who was kidnapped by armed men more than a week ago, has been freed.

Police say Archbishop Ignatius Kattey was released on Saturday evening and is in a stable condition.

He was seized on 6 September, along with his wife Beatrice, in the southern city of Port Harcourt. His wife was released unharmed a few hours later.

Kidnapping for ransom has become common in the oil-rich Niger Delta region around Port Harcourt in recent years.

Numerous armed gangs operate in the area following years of violent protests against the oil industry.

Archbishop Kattey is the head of the Anglican Church in the predominantly Christian Niger Delta.

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"The archbishop was released behind a filling station at Eleme in Rivers state," police spokeswoman Angela Agabe said in a statement.

"His captors dropped him when the police were about to close in on them. No ransom was paid."

No further details have been released about the people who had kidnapped the cleric and his wife late at night near their residence nearly ten days ago.

The abductors later abandoned Mrs Kattey in a bush, police said.

Last year, the mother of Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was abducted and held for five days.

- BBC