The family of an Irishman who was released on Wednesday night after being kidnapped from a Nigerian bar 12 days ago were last night preparing to fly to meet him at an undisclosed location.
Bryan Fogerty (39), from Oughterard, Co Galway, had been working for US oil services company Halliburton when his kidnappers, dressed in army uniforms, used three vehicles to storm the bar in the southern city of Port Harcourt
He was taken from the bar with a group of other foreign workers - including two Britons and a Pole - after his abductors escaped in a speedboat. Security forces are believed to have engaged them in a gun battle.
The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Mr Fogerty had been freed along with his fellow detainees late on Wednesday evening.
A spokesman yesterday said that Mr Fogerty, who is in Nigeria's largest city, Lagos, was released following negotiations conducted by the Nigerian authorities. He had met officials from the Irish Embassy in the country.
Asked whether a ransom was paid for Mr Fogerty's release, the spokesman said the department's understanding was that his release was "unconditional".
He said the department did not have any more details regarding the circumstances surrounding his release at this stage.
Speaking to The Irish Times yesterday from the family home, Mr Fogerty's father Des said the first he knew of his son's release was when he received a call from him at about 10pm on Wednesday.
"I got a call from him himself. I had no indication that I was going to get a call at all. He sounded very shook, I'd say. He didn't give me any details yet. But he's okay, we spoke to him again today. They weren't maltreated, as far as I know."
Mr Fogerty also said he wished to thank Irish diplomatic staff for their work in securing his son's release.
His company, Halliburton, was organising for Mr Fogerty's parents and three brothers to fly to meet him at an undisclosed location - believed to be either Paris or London - last night.
"We're going over to bring him home," Mr Fogerty said.
Welcoming the news that Mr Fogerty had been released, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said his officials had been in ongoing contact with members of his family throughout the kidnapping.
"While details of the release are not yet available, the important thing is that Bryan is free," he said. "It will, of course, be important that Brian takes time to recover from this and I wish him well in that recovery."
Nigeria's Rivers state government spokesman Magnus Abe confirmed that six men were set free in the Port Harcourt area on Wednesday night. It remained unclear yesterday if all of the men were kidnapped in the same incident which led to Mr Fogerty's capture.
Foreign workers in Nigeria have had their movements severely restricted following a series of abductions in the country's oil-rich southeastern delta.