Gunmen have kidnapped three Chinese workers in central Nigeria, the latest such incident in the region, police say.
"Three Chinese nationals were abducted by some unknown gunmen within the early hours of Friday," a senior police officer, who did not want to be named, said.
He said the gunmen stormed a quarry outside Lokoja, the capital of Kogi state, and engaged the policemen on guard in a shootout.
"One policeman was killed while another sustained gunshot wounds," he said.
He said the assailants escaped with their hostages on foot through the bush.
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There have been a wave of abductions targeting foreigners in Kogi state in recent months.
Two weeks ago, two Chinese citizens were kidnapped in the state, while a US missionary was taken from her school last month.
The seizure of the US woman took place in the village of Emiworo where the missionary from the Free Methodist Church ran a community organisation within the premises of a school linked to her church.
She was released last week.
