LAGOS, Nigeria - A British hostage who was captured more than seven months ago by Nigeria's main militant group was freed on Sunday, a senior military official said.
The captive, Robin Hughes, was handed over to military officials in Nigeria's southern oil region, said the official, Sarkin Bello. He told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that he had no immediate information about Hughes' condition, or whether a ransom had been paid.
Earlier Sunday, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta militants said in an email to The AP that they would free Hughes "very soon," due to the man's poor health. The group later confirmed that Hughes had been liberated.
Hughes was among 27 oil workers kidnapped by militants when their vessel was hijacked in early September. The militant group said Matthew Maguire, who was taken in the same incident with Hughes, was not going to be released along with his British compatriot. The other hostages have been released.
Hundreds of kidnappings have been reported in the southern Niger Delta in recent years, and the practice appears to be spreading into other parts of Africa's most populous country and biggest oil producer.
