Police confirm rescue of tribal king abducted in Delta State, Nigeria

The police in Nigeria's oil-rich Delta State on Thursday confirmed a paramount tribal king abducted by gunmen in the state has been rescued.

King Orhifi Orovwagbarha, the Ovie of Agbarha-Warri Kingdom in the southeastern state, was rescued in the early hours of Thursday by a team of 100 police operatives and 30 local vigilantes, said Zanna Ibrahim, state police chief.

Ibrahim, who led the policemen on the rescue mission, told Xinhua the search party combed a forest on the outskirts of the city, close to where the tribal king was abducted, before being able to rescue him from his captors.

The traditional leader was abducted on his way to Asaba, the Delta State capital, on Wednesday by suspected herdsmen, according to police preliminary investigation.

"His abductors were fleeing with him to a different location after our men had combed the entire bush in search for him," Ibrahim told Xinhua, adding that the king's abductors had engaged the police in a gun fight during the rescue operation.

In Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, there is an increasing threat of abduction amid growing security challenges.

Individuals, including foreigners, kidnapped in the southern part of the country are usually released unharmed after a ransom is paid.