Rediff

New Delhi, Jun 16: Ten Indians abducted in Nigeria 16 days ago have been released.

All of them, who worked with a franchise of Indonesia-based Indorama firm, are with company officials, External Affairs Ministry sources in New Delhi said on Saturday.

The ten, including Indorama's Managing Director Arun Taneja, were kidnapped by some gunmen after an attack on their residential quarters in Rivers state on June one.

While the Indian High Commission had taken up the matter with Nigerian officials, the negotiations for their release were conducted by the company officials.

Indorama had sent a Director-level officer to Nigeria to negotiate with the kidnappers.

In the wake of the daring abduction, many other Indians had been evacuated from the state to the Nigerian capital Lagos.

The High Commission had taken up the matter of Indians' security with Nigerian Foreign Ministry and National Security Adviser while the External Affairs Ministry took up the issue with the Nigerian High Commission in New Delhi.

Two Indians and three foreign workers were abducted in a similar incident on Friday night from Nigeria's southern oil heartland.