Gunmen kidnap journalist in Nigerian oil city: police

Port Harcourt in River State, the commercial capital Niger Delta. By Pius Utomi Ekpei (AFP/File)

Lagos (AFP) - Gunmen in Nigeria's southern oil city Port Harcourt have kidnapped a senior journalist working for a private national newspaper, police and the daily announced on Monday.

Donu Kogbara, a renowned columnist for Vanguard newspaper, was abducted Sunday morning from outside her residence in the southern city, which is capital of Rivers State, the daily said.

Ahmad Muhammad, police spokesman for Rivers State, said efforts were under way to rescue her.

"We are making serious efforts to rescue her alive. We have our strategies to achieve this but I am not at liberty to disclose them to the public," he told AFP.

The reason for the abduction of Kogbara, who comes from Rivers State, not immediately clear.

Kidnapping for ransom is common in the oil-rich region.

Most victims are set free unharmed once the ransom has been paid.