The French government has promised not to spare any effort to ensure the quick return of its citizen, Mr. Francis Collomp, who has been in captivity in Nigeria since December, 2012.
Georges Venin, the First Counsellor, Political Affairs and Communications to the Embassy of France in Nigeria, said this in an e-mail to our correspondent, in Abuja, on Tuesday.
He sent the mail in response to enquiries by The PUNCH.
Until his abduction, Collomp was an engineer working for French-owned company Vergnet at a project site in Rimi, Katsina State.
The written statement read, “Francis Collomp is a French engineer working for Vergnet Company.
“He was kidnapped by a terrorist group on December 19, 2012 at Rimi (Katsina), and has not since been released.
“We (will) spare no effort so he quickly regains his freedom. All government departments are fully mobilised to obtain the release of our compatriot held hostage.”
The embassy statement also said French authorities were authenticating a video released by the extremists holding him.
A terrorist group Ansaru posted a video of the French national who has been in captivity for close to one year.
In it, the hostage identifies himself as 63-year-old Francis Collomp, an engineer with the French firm Vergnet, who was kidnapped in Rimi in Katsina state on December 19, 2012.
He appears to be wearing a white T-shirt, with an unidentified gunman holding a weapon in the background.
The abductee’s brother, Denis Collomp, told the French News Agency of his relief at seeing the images, while still fearing for his safety.
“I’m relieved, it’s good, even though he looked tired,” he said from his home in southeastern France.
0�vn-(�2�D5eorgia”,”serif”;mso-bidi-font-family:Georgia; color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US’>The legislator, however, acknowledged that she received a petition two months back from a group of students in Moscow.
“The petition concerned the failure of the Federal Ministry of Education to pay their grants,’’ she said.
Elendu-Ukeje said she understood their plight, especially as the petitioners complained of backlog of unpaid school fees.
“I am aware that they have actually written a petition. I had cause to engage in a discussion the young man who brought the petition.
“I made him realise that the embassy was not part of the deal between them and the Ministry of Education.
“Even though the Nigerian embassy is Nigeria’s representative in Moscow, the Ministry of Education is the one paying their grant.
“However, I promised to engage the Ministry of Education to ensure that their grant was paid to them as at when due,’’ she added.
Punch
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