France-President Francois Hollande, yesterday declared that a French engineer who was taken hostage in Nigeria in December 2012, Francis Collomp, has been freed.

In a statement, Hollande expressed thanks to Nigerian authorities for helping to secure the release of 63-year old Collomp, but provided no other details of how he was freed.

“The president greets with joy the release of our compatriot Francis Collomp,” Hollande said.

“France had never ceased to make every effort to achieve this happy outcome. The president expresses all of his gratitude to Nigerian authorities, with whom France worked in close cooperation, for their decisive action,” Hollande said.

“This long-awaited news does not make us forget our seven compatriots who are still being held in Syria, in Mali and in Nigeria. France will continue to work tirelessly for their release.”

The statement said Hollande had asked Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius to make his way immediately to Nigeria to receive Collomp.

Report stated that Collomp was kidnapped by 30 armed men who attacked the residence of French firm Vergnet, the company for which he is working, in Rimi, Katsina state on the border with Niger.

 Collon was working with the firm handling the Katsina Wind Mill Power project, when he was kidnapped at his residence.

Two people, a security guard and his friend, were shot dead during his abduction, while the Divisional Police Office in Rimi was set ablaze by the kidnappers.

When contacted, Kaduna State Commissioner of Police Mr Olufemi Adenaike, said that the 63-year old French man was released by his abductors in Zaria on Saturday, after his initial incarceration in Katsina and Kano.

According to him, the kidnappers did not demand any ransom since the man was kidnapped about a year ago.

He said Collon was dumped by the roadside at Dan Magaji in Zaria, from where he took a commercial motorcycle to the Dan Magaji police station.

The commissioner said the man would be departing Nigeria for France immediately to reunite with his family.