The two had been seized near Nigeria's oil industry hub of Port Harcourt in the restive Niger Delta on Aug 2.

The French foreign ministry said in a statement the pair were expected back in France in the next few days.

Insecurity in Nigeria, the world's eighth-largest oil exporter, has cut crude output by around a fifth since militants launched a campaign of sabotage in early 2006 to press for greater development in their neglected communities. -- REUTERS