Nigerian Supreme Court Judge's Wife, Daughter Kidnapped

Nigerian media say gunmen have abducted the wife, daughter and driver of a supreme court judge, in the latest case of kidnappers targeting prominent Nigerians.

Nigerian news agencies quote authorities as saying the kidnapping happened late Friday in the southern state of Edo. 

The officials said the three were travelling to Edo's capital, Benin, to prepare for the daughter's wedding when gunmen intercepted their car.

The reports said the kidnappers had not yet contacted Supreme Court Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour's family to make any demands.

Abductions of prominent Nigerians have increased in the country's south in recent months, with the kidnappers typically demanding ransom payments from family members.

In December, the mother of Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was kidnapped in Delta state before being released five days later. It is not clear if a ransom was paid.

Kidnappings for ransom are a lucrative criminal enterprise in southern Nigeria, but in previous years most cases involved foreign oil workers.