The lives of the five Chinese workers kidnapped on Friday morning in Nigeria can be ensured and they will be released safely should all proceed smoothly, a reliable source told Xinhua on Sunday.

The official quoted a well-known local chieftain belonging to the Emohua council government area in Rivers state, southern Nigeria, as saying that he would "offer necessary assistances with the Chinese rescue group as well as the state government and the police in rescuing the Chinese kidnapees."

The anonymous official said the local chieftain also believed that the five abducted Chinese workers would come to no harm.

However, the chieftain's name was also unreleased, the explanation being that it was better not to before he could help release the Chinese kidnapees successfully.

The Chinese rescue group headed by Wang Lei, political councilor of the Chinese embassy, arrived in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers state on Saturday afternoon.

Wang Lei spoke Xinhua on the phone, stating that the group was comprised of three Chinese embassy staff and two officials from the telecommunication companies involved and that they would coordinate with the Rivers state government and the police in safely releasing the Chinese workers safely as soon as possible.

(Xinhua News Agency January 8, 2007)