A South African who was being held hostage in Nigeria was released on Monday evening, the Department of International Relations said.
Nick Greyling, an M-Net SuperSport sound engineer, has been released from his captors, spokesperson Nomfanelo Kota said.
“The South African government … confirms the release of the South African citizen who was abducted in Nigeria.
“We would like to thank the Nigerian government for its cooperation and we wish the citizen well as he returns home,” said Kota.
Greyling and two Nigerian colleagues — cameraman Alexander Effiong and commentator Bowie Attamah — were taken from their bus on Monday in the Imo province, near the Owerri airport.
Effiong escaped soon after the attack.
Kota could not immediately give details of how Greyling got to be released, saying only that more information would be released on Tuesday.
Kidnappings are relatively common in Nigeria’s oil-rich south, but have in recent months spread to the rest of the country.
Ransom demands range from $700Â 000 to $3-million, depending on the wealth and status of the hostage, although kidnappers will often accept lower sums.
More than 500 people were kidnapped in the first six months of 2009, of whom 10 were killed, according to official Nigerian statistics.
Last Wednesday, she told reporters that negotiations with the hostage-takers were being conducted through the Nigerian authorities and that South Africa’s High Commissioner to Nigeria Kingsley Mamabolo was monitoring the situation. — Sapa