Retired Nigerian General Idris Alkali and his wife were seized by armed men in the north-west state of Zamfara on Tuesday night, raising fears of a British hostage crisis. The couple, both British citizens, were travelling from Abuja to their farm when gunmen ambushed their convoy near the town of Gusau. A police source said the attackers killed two soldiers and a driver before taking the general and his wife.
The development comes as the UK government urges restraint while local security forces attempt to locate the hostages. The British High Commission in Abuja has activated its crisis response team. Zamfara has seen a surge in kidnappings for ransom by criminal gangs known locally as 'bandits'.
The general, who served in the Nigerian Army for 35 years, had recently settled in the region to pursue agriculture. His wife, a retired civil servant, is said to be in poor health. No group has claimed responsibility.
The incident underscores the fragile security situation in north-west Nigeria, where banditry and abductions have become endemic. British families in the region are now on high alert. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to Zamfara.
