British Girl Kidnapped in Nigeria is Released

Nigerian kidnappers have tonight released Margaret Hill, a three-year-old British girl they had seized in the city of Port Harcourt on Thursday.

A Nigerian state government spokesman said that Margaret had been reunited with her parents, and was in good health.

The three-year-old was seized by unknown gunmen in Port Harcourt last week while the car taking her to school idled in traffic.

I am very very happy," said Oluchi Hill, the girl's mother, speaking from the headquarters of the State Security Services (SSS) in Port Harcourt, where she was reunited with her daughter.

The foreign secretary David Miliband said he was "delighted" that the little girl had been released and thanked those who worked to secure her freedom.

"I was delighted and relieved to hear of Margaret's release just now.

"I am grateful to the Nigerian authorities for all their help and I hope the perpetrators will be swiftly brought to justice.

"Foreign Office consular staff in Nigeria have been working closely with the NGA authorities throughout, and of course Margaret Hill's family, and will continue to provide consular support as required," he said.

Her mother had previously said the abductors had contacted her and demanded an unspecified ransom for Margaret's release. She also said her daughter was being fed only bread and water, and that the gunmen threatened to kill the girl if the parents did not meet their demands - including one that the girl's father take his daughter's place.

It was the first abduction of a foreign child in the increasingly lawless oil region of Africa's biggest oil producer, although Margaret is the third child to be seized in six weeks. The other two victims, both released unharmed after a few days in captivity, were the children of prominent Nigerian families.