Nigeria's central bank has reversed its ban on cryptocurrency transactions, citing global trends that emphasize the necessity of regulating such activities, as stated in its recent circular.

Nairobi/Abuja  - Nigerian militants have kidnapped a British oil worker, killing his police guard in the attack.

Nigeria's The Guardian newspaper said that the kidnapping took place in Rivers State capital Port Harcourt on Sunday.

The kidnap victim is believed to be Allan Priston, who works for the Nigerian company Adamac, which provides engineering services to oil companies.

Kidnappings of oil workers are common in the oil-producing Niger Delta, where armed groups say they are struggling for a fairer distribution of oil wealth.

Nairobi/Abuja  - Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua said he was considering an amnesty for rebels in the Niger Delta, who severely damage the West African country's economy with attacks on pipelines and oil-production facilities.

His government was discussing measures on how to reintegrate the rebels into society if they disarm, Yar'Adua said after a meeting of leaders of the ruling People's Democratic Party, the BBC reported.

"We are working on terms for the granting of amnesty for those who are prepared to lay down their arms," the president said.

Nairobi/Abuja  - Nigerian oil workers called off a strike planned for Wednesday after union leaders met government officials, union leaders said.

The unions were planning to strike in protest at worsening security in the oil-producing Niger Delta and also at plans to deregulate the downstream sector.

Both Nigerian and foreign oil workers have been the targets of kidnappings by criminal groups and militants who claim they are fighting for a share of oil wealth.

The attacks have cut oil production by up to a fifth.

Kiev  - Ukrainian law enforcers on Tuesday formally charged the ethnic Nigerian leader of a hugely popular evangelical Christian church of complicity in bilking his congregation of millions, the Interfax news agency reported.

Pastor Sunday Adelaja, senior pastor of Embassy of God in Kiev, Ukraine, was among the ringleaders in an international scheme to attract funds from Ukrainian churchgoers into questionable Nigerian businesses run by friends and relatives, the accusation read in part.

Nairobi/Abuja  - Two Russian men kidnapped in December by rebels in the Niger Delta have escaped from captivity and have been rescued by the army, a Nigerian military spokesman said on Friday.

The two, who are employees of a Russian aluminium company, were taken by members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) on December
20.

Lt. Col. Sagir Musa told the BBC that the two men "escaped from a yet-to-be-identified military camp and for the past five days were wandering in the creeks before our own patrol team saw and rescued them."