Five Chinese workers were kidnapped in Nigeria's oil-rich and volatile southern state of Rivers early on Friday morning.

A source in the Chinese embassy in the capital city of Abuja said the victims were from a Chinese telecom company and that armed kidnappers also stole property worth thousands of US dollars.

Li, an official with the consular department, told China Daily that a group of six people were working on an electricity project when they were attacked by the gunmen around 5 am.