LAGOS, Sept. 29 (Xinhuanet) -- Nigerian police and army troops freed two kidnapped expatriate oil workers, including a Briton, during a rescue operation in the Delta state district of Burutu, a police spokesman confirmed on Thursday.

    Haz Iwendi said eight suspects were arrested during the raid in Burutu. He said one of the kidnapped men was British, but there were conflicting reports about the nationality of the second man.

    Earlier police spokesman Haz Iwendi told Xinhua by phone from Nigeria's capital Abuja that a Briton and an American have been kidnapped on Wednesday night.

    "While they (Briton and American) are having a drink ... they were kidnapped ... and taken away," he said.

    "The police moved in, shot at the (kidnappers') vehicle. They killed the driver of the vehicle but the kidnappers dropped the dead body and went away," Iwendi said.

    The leader of the kidnapping group had been arrested, he said, noting he did not know the cause of the abduction or which company the kidnapped worked for. Enditem