Scottish Expat Freed From Nigerian Kidnappers After Two Weeks

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Two long weeks after he was abducted from the Niger Delta, Ben Strachan - a Scottish oil worker - was freed and reunited with his Nigerian wife and their son.

Strachan - who is employed by one of the many oil companies operating in the Niger Delta - was freed yesterday. It is uncertain wether or not his eomployer has paid the demanded ransom of £1.6million.

The abduction took place on November 27 in Port Harcourt, the main city of the Niger Delta, which is the epicenter of Africa's biggest oil and gas industry.

Strachan has not been the only person abducted in the region. Since 2006, hundreds of foreigners have been abducted - including 3-year old Margaret Hill in 2007.

Most of the victims, including Strachan, have been released unharmed. Some people, however, are not so lucky. In 2006, a British oil workers was killed when Nigerian troops tried to free seven foreigners abducted from an offshore oilfield.