Nigerian kidnappers on Sunday, released Margaret Hill, a three-year-old British girl, who was abducted in southern Nigeria four days ago. She is reunited with her family after undergoing medical examination at the hospital. Her parents Mike and Oluchi Hill, claim that she was in good health but ‘covered in mosquito bites’.
Mr. Hill, a British expatriate oil worker, originally from Murton in County Durham, said though being held as a hostage in a mosquito-ridden hut, his daughter was ‘very active, not much worse for wear’.
The incident took place when Margaret was on her way to school in Port Harcourt on Thursday, when gunmen smashed a window of her car and grabbed her, while stabbing the driver who tried to protect her.
In the last six weeks, Margaret was the third child who was kidnapped.
The kidnappers had sworn to kill the toddler if her father did not replace her. The abductors, according to Mrs Hill, who are Nigerian, had also called her up and demanded an undisclosed amount in ransom to release the girl.
However the couple denies having paid any ransom.
The President of Nigeria, Umaru Yar’Adua had claimed for Margaret’s release. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend), the chief militant group in the region also proposed to help find her.
Inspite of this disturbing episode, Mr Hill has no plans to leave Nigeria. He said:
Just because people get mad, they kidnap the children. It’s very worrying but things have got to get better - they can’t get worse. If it frightens everybody away, the whole country will be empty. I live here and I work here and I’ve been in Africa since 1973.
Nevertheless, he says that his family would most likely take a holiday.
There have been more than 200 hostages held by armed groups in Nigeria in the last 18 months.
UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who was elated at Margaret’s release said:
I am grateful to the Nigerian authorities for all their help and I hope the perpetrators will be swiftly brought to justice.
