British couple kidnapped in Nigeria describe moment fellow missionary was shot dead

A British couple kidnapped and held to ransom in Nigeria have described the moment one of their fellow missionaries was shot dead after singing a hymn to lift their spirits.

Christian charity workers David and Shirley Donovan (pictured above) were abducted from their accommodation in Delta State in the south of the country in the early hours of October 13 alongside fellow missionary medics Ian Squire and Alanna Carson.

The couple, who have since been freed, have described their horrific ordeal including the moment Mr Squire was shot dead after playing Amazing Grace on a guitar to cheer them up.

Dr Donovan told the Daily Telegraph: “It was the perfect song, and at that point things began to look not quite as bad.

“But then, after Ian finished playing, he stood up, and a salvo of gunshots killed him instantly. We didn’t see who did it, but it was obvious that someone in the gang had shot him. It was terrifying to see.”

Mr Donovan, who started medical charity New Foundations with his wife in 2003, described how he and the others jumped out of the bamboo hut they were being held in, thinking they would also be killed.

“We jumped out of the shack and into the water as we thought they were coming for us next,” he said, “but a member of the gang came and put us back in there with Ian for the rest of the day.”

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During their kidnapping, the group kept their spirits up by playing a version of BBC Radio 4 quiz The Unbelievable Truth, where contestants have to tell fact from fiction, the couple have revealed.

They were freed after the kidnappers told them a ransom had been paid.