Gunmen shoot dead, abduct Lebanese in Nigeria: police

LAGOS (AFP) - Gunmen in northern Nigeria's Kaduna state on Monday shot dead a Lebanese man and his Nigerian driver and abducted another Lebanese national, the state police spokesman said.

"The gunmen attacked the construction bus in which they were travelling, shot dead a Lebanese and the Nigerian driver and kidnapped another Lebanese," Aminu Lawan told AFP on telephone from Kaduna city.

He said that the attack took place at a location near Zaria, a large university town.

"We are on the lookout for the criminals and we are searching also for the kidnapped Lebanese," Lawan stated.

The attack has added to the feeling of insecurity in Africa's most populous nation battling to curb a deadly Islamist insurgency, especially in northern part of the country.

Islamist group Boko Haram has carried out scores of attacks in the region but criminal groups have also committed violence under the guise of the group.

The sect has regularly widened its targets in its insurgency which has killed more than 1,000 people since mid-2009.