The leader of a Nigerian gang responsible for the death of a British aid worker has been killed, according to the Nigerian army.<\/p>\n
A manhunt for gang leader Peregbakumo Oyawerikumo, known as Karowei, had been underway in southern Nigeria since last year.<\/p>\n
He co-ordinated the kidnap of four British missionaries in October.<\/p>\n
Three were released but one man, Ian Squire, was shot dead in captivity.<\/p>\n
Kidnapping for ransom is common in southern Nigeria though most often those taken are freed after a ransom is paid.<\/p>\n
The Foreign Office currently\u00a0advises against all but essential travel to much of Delta state<\/a>, saying there is a “high threat of criminal kidnap”.<\/p>\n A special military task force said it arrested the gang leader in a village.<\/p>\n As the task force led him back to his camp they were ambushed and in the fighting, Karowei was killed, the army said.<\/p>\n The BBC’s Stephanie Hegarty in Lagos says that until the kidnapping, the gang was relatively unknown – it had a reputation for hassling local women returning from the market and had abducted the wife of a local politician.<\/p>\n Ian Squire, an optician, ran a practice in Shepperton, Surrey and locals told the BBC he travelled to Africa every year to carry out charity work.<\/p>\n He was one of four medical workers who were kidnapped when the gang\u00a0stormed the rural community of Enekorogha\u00a0<\/a>on 13 October 2017.<\/p>\n Mr Squire’s friend Paul Allan, who ran a neighbouring business, described him as a “good friend” and a “very straight forward, nice, gentle guy”.<\/p>\n Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"