Mother rejoices release of son by Nigerian hostage-takers

Sivsagar(Asom), Jun 12 (UNI) Kumkum Kakoty was waiting for this news for the past 24 days but when the phone rang this morning to inform her of her abducted son's release from Nigeria, she was speechless.

However, her household erupted with joy as the second phone call from her daughter-in-law Lata reconfirmed the release of Kakoty last night along with his friend and colleague Sunil Dave.

''I knew he would come back, but only I know how I spent the last 24 days,'' said mother Kumkum Dutta with tears in her eyes as neighbours and relatives kept streaming into their modest Sivsagar residence.

Debasis is a fire engineer employed by Indo-Rama, an oil firm, which is executing a major contract in Nigeria. ''I want my son back. I told my daughter-in-law to take the next available flight and come home straight,'' said Kukmkum.

According to Kumkum, his son and Dave, both employees of the oil firm, would reach the provincial city of Bayelsa, at around 1500 hrs Indiatime.

The militants said they had released the hostages as a 'humanitarian gesture.' Seven other Indians were still held hostage in Nigeria.

The hostage-takers released 12 foreign hostages, including two Indians in Nigeria's restive southern oil heartland, officials said.

Officials brought the 12 liberated foreigners and one Nigerian to the governor's offices in the southern state of Bayelsa for the media persons gathered to see.

Sources in the Governor's office said the foreign nationals were two Indians, three Americans, five Britons, one Filipino and one South African.

Meanwhile around 120 Indian nationals working for the Eleme Petrochemical Company in southern Nigeria have left the region or the country following the two kidnappings.

A spokesperson for the company said that production had been affected at Eleme Petrochemical, located on the outskirts of Port Harcourt, the capital of oil-rich Rivers State, which was attacked twice in quick succession.

Beside these two, in June, a total of 10 people - three senior managers, three workers and four family members, two women and two children, were seized from the company's residential compound.

Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today hailed the release and according to his secretariat, Ministery of External Affairs has been approached for safe and early return of Kakoty.

UNI