British oil worker kidnapped from Nigerian nightclub

A British oil worker is among four people who were abducted from a nightclub in Nigeria, local police said today.

The hostages were kidnapped from the Goodfellas club in Port Harcourt last night as gun battles broke out throughout the southern city.

Nigerian state police today confirmed four people had been taken captive, including a Briton and an American working for oil contractors.

The kidnappers have not been named and no arrests have been made, police spokeswoman Irejua Barasua said.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokeswoman said: "We are aware of the reports and are urgently looking into them."

George Ani, a driver in Port Harcourt, said he saw more than 10 people go into the Goodfellas club and drag away a group of foreigners.

He went on: "They were shooting and everyone started screaming. They took some expatriates but I don't know how many. I lay on the floor of my car until it was finished."

Mr Ani said the nightclub attackers were wearing military uniforms and did not cover their faces. He did not see anyone injured in the raid.

Foreign workers in Nigeria have had their movements severely restricted following a series of abductions in the country's oil-rich south-eastern delta over the last week.

Nigeria is Africa's largest crude oil producer, typically generating about 2.6 million barrels a day.

But militant attacks have cut production by more than 20 per cent since the start of the year.