Beijing  - China's Foreign Ministry on Saturday said police and officials in Nigeria had secured the release of three Chinese construction workers kidnapped in the southern Cross River State.

"Following the efforts of all parties, the three people were released on May 9 (Friday)," ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a brief statement.

The Chinese workers were kidnapped by unidentified abductors on Tuesday in Calabar, the regional capital, Qin said earlier.

The official Xinhua news agency said the workers were employees of the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and were seized near the company's compound in Calabar.

The workers' vehicle was found abandoned about two hours later with a letter from the kidnappers inside demanding an unspecified ransom for the return of the workers, the agency said.

The company was negotiating with the kidnappers in cooperation with Nigerian police, it said.

The foreign ministry statement on Saturday did not say if any ransom was paid or if Nigerian police had arrested any of the kidnappers.

Chinese workers have been targeted in several previous kidnappings in Nigeria, mostly in the oil-rich Niger Delta. (dpa)