After weeks of frantic search, Spanish doctor; José Manuel Machimbarrena Corcuera kidnapped in Nigeria’s South Eastern city of Enugu April 4th has been freed and in good health, according to the Spanish Foreign Ministry and Nigerian police.
Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo; Spain’s Foreign Minister said in Madrid that the man was believed to have been abducted and that his disappearance “has all the characteristics of a kidnapping for economic reasons.”
“Mister Corcuera was released on Friday,” a ministry spokesman said but did not divulge details of the circumstances that led to his freedom.
He said the man had been seized for ransom, but it is not clear if any ransom was paid, on the insistence of discretion from the doctor’s employers in the matter.
The 58-year-old doctor, works for a clinic belonging to a foundation financially supported by a Catholic institution called Opus Dei in Nigeria.
His kidnap, which sparked an outrage in his home country due to his work in missions, resulted in a 24-hour manhunt of his abductors until he was released, according to Enugu Police Spokesman Ebere Amaraizu.
The Spanish embassy worked hand in hand and tirelessly with Nigeria till he was confirmed alive and free so also were they in constant contact Dr. Jose’s family down in Madrid.
Kidnappings has been the order of the day in southern Nigeria for a while now as ransom are being demanded before release of hostages mostly in the oil-producing region of the country; the Niger Delta and following payment of the requested ransom, they release the victims unharmed.
A recent event of kidnap which would have caused diplomatic rancour between Nigeria, Britain and Italy as Italian authorities pointed accusing fingers at Britain for non-dissemination of information was that of the kidnap of a Briton and an Italian by Islamist group Boko Haram, which is concentrated mainly in northern Nigeria.
With a botched coded mission carried out after the hideout of the hostages were known, both hostages died in crossfire between government forces and the Islamist group.
