Brave Frenchman Escapes Nigerian Captors During Shootout

Andrew Anglin
Daily Stormer
November 17, 2013

A brave Frenchman, who was being held by Nigerian Muslim terrorists for nearly a year, has escaped during a shootout with the army.

The BBC reports:

French President Francois Hollande thanked Nigeria’s authorities for helping secure the release of Francis Collomp, 63, in the city of Zaria.

Unofficial reports say he managed to escape from his cell during an army operation against the militants.

The French foreign minister is being sent to Nigeria to meet him.

The news comes after four other French hostages were released in neighbouring Niger having been held for three years by gunmen with links to al-Qaeda.

There were reports that at least 20m euros (£16.7m; $27m) were paid in ransom for the four. The French government denied any public money was used.

[…]

Mr Collomp was kidnapped on 19 December last year by armed men who attacked the residence of his employer, the French wind turbine manufacturer Vergnet, in the north Nigerian state of Katsina.

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A source “close to the case” told AFP news agency that Mr Collomp had fled during an exchange of fire between the army and militants after his cell door was left open.

Reuters news agency quoted an unnamed French government source who also said the captive had escaped. However, it added that a source in the French foreign ministry had denied the report.

A diplomatic source told Reuters that Mr Collomp was weak and had lost a lot of weight but was uninjured.

Seven French citizens, Mr Hollande said, remained in captivity in Syria, Mali and Nigeria.