Unknown gunmen have kidnapped the mother of a local MP in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta, authorities say.
The woman was abducted on Monday night from her home in Brass, a coastal village in Bayelsa, one of Nigeria's main oil-producing states.

Meanwhile, the 11-year-old son of another member Bayelsa State House of Assembly has been freed.

It is not clear whether any ransom was paid for the boy's release. Such payments are always officially denied.

The elderly mother of the speaker of the same local state legislature was freed four days earlier after 10 days in captivity.

Toddlers

These latest kidnappings are a new trend in the region where militants used to kidnap mostly foreign oil workers for ransoms.


In the neighbouring Rivers state, two toddlers were kidnapped last month in Port Harcourt.

A three-year-old daughter of a British worker was kidnapped and later released.

Another two-year-old son of a local chief was also snatched on his way to school in Nigeria's violent oil capital, Port Harcourt and later released to his father.

Foreign oil workers are still being targeted, with at least five still in captivity.

Over 200 expatriate workers have been kidnapped since early 2006 when militant groups stepped up their violent campaign for Niger Delta residents to have a larger share of Nigeria's oil money.

Hostages are normally released unharmed after ransom payments that are often denied by governments and the oil companies involved.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6945806.stm