Nigeria may free four hostages
2006-08-14 14:01
Oslo - Negotiators are close to a deal to free four foreign workers kidnapped from an oil services ship off the coast of Nigeria last week, says Norway's ambassador in Nigeria.
Two Norwegians and two Ukrainians were seized at gunpoint on Wednesday, victims in a series of abductions in Africa's top oil producer.
Tore Nedreboe said: "There is a draft agreement between the negotiators, but it has to be approved by the local state government", saying that the four were unlikely to be released on Monday.
Earlier, it was reported that an agreement had been reached to free the four. Nedreboe said that talks had been going on with representatives of the kidnappers.
The four worked on a vessel owned by a Norwegian unit of the United States-based Trico Marine Services Inc, which serviced an offshore drilling rig.
Eight foreigners were kidnapped from the same rig for two days in June in a dispute with a nearby community over jobs and investment.
Nedreboe said that the kidnappers of the two Norwegians and two Ukrainians made similar demands for other communities in the region.