Gunmen in Nigeria's Kano state kill policeman and abduct German citizen -police

KANO, Nigeria (Reuters) - Gunmen in the northern Nigerian state of Kano killed a policeman and abducted a Germany citizen on Monday as they travelled to a construction site, police said. The gunmen's motive was unclear. Kidnapping for ransom is common in parts of Nigeria. Five gunmen ambushed a vehicle carrying construction workers and opened fire on them along Sabon Titi Madobi road at around 7:45 a.m. (0645 GMT), a police spokesman said. The road is on the outskirts of the state's capital city, also called Kano. The vehicle was carrying staff of Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company, a Nigerian firm, to a building site, Kano police said in a statement. A police sergeant, who was part of a protection unit escorting the group, was killed and the German man was abducted, the statement added. The "manhunt of the abductors is ongoing," said Kano state police in a statement. The German embassy in Nigeria declined to comment. The company also did not immediately respond to calls and an email requesting comment. (Reporting by Desmond Mgboh; Additional reporting by Paul Carsten in Abuja and Alexis Akwagyiram in Lagos; Writing by Chijioke Ohuocha; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)