A Carroll County man kidnapped in Nigeria has been released, a family member confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Friday.

The family member told the AJC that William Gregory "Greg" Ock is in a safe location and that he appeared to be OK during a phone call to family. Ock, 50, of Bowdon, was working on a power plant job for the Japanese conglomerate Marubeni Corp.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria told The Associated Press that a captive had been released but refused to offer any more details.

Police previously said the attack happened in Warri, the capital of Delta state. The police said the assailants trailed the man to a bank and waited outside before kidnapping him.

The attack occurred in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta, where foreign firms have pumped oil out of the country for more than 50 years. Despite the billions flowing into Nigeria's government, many in the delta remain desperately poor, living in polluted waters without access to proper medical care, education or work.

About the Author

Featured

Angie McBrayer, ex-wife of James Aaron McBrayer, leans her head on her son Sam McBrayer as she and her three children and two grandchildren (from left) Jackson McBrayer, 3, Piper Jae McBrayer, 7, Katy Isaza, and Jordan McBrayer, visit the grave of James McBrayer, Thursday, November 20, 2025, in Tifton. He died after being restrained by Tift County sheriff's deputies on April 24, 2019. His ex-wife witnessed the arrest and said she thought the deputies were being rough but did not imagine that McBrayer would die. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC