British, US hostages in Nigeria to be freed-official

LAGOS, Nov 5 (Reuters) A Briton and an American kidnapped from an oil industry ship off the coast of the southern Nigerian state of Bayelsa will be freed tomorrow after four days in captivity, a government official said today.

The abduction of the two employees of Norway's Petroleum Geo-Services on Thursday by villagers involved in a community dispute, was the latest in a wave of attacks on foreigners in the world's eighth largest oil exporter.

''The hostages will be released (at the) latest by tomorrow evening. We had hoped they would be released today but something went wrong at the last minute,'' a Bayelsa state spokesman said.

REUTERS AKJ BST2324