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Gunmen attack oil installation
04/07/2007 13:11 - (SA)
Lagos - Gunmen attacked an oil installation on Wednesday in Nigeria's restive southern oil heartland and seized five expatriate workers, said private security officials.
Police were investigating a reported attack, but had no details. Two private security officials involved in protecting oil company staff in the Niger Delta said five expatriate workers had been reported seized.
Both spoke on condition of anonymity, citing company policy, which prohibited them from speaking to journalists. The spokesperson for a top militant gang, whose one-month cease-fire ended on Tuesday, said their group was not responsible.
Hostages freed unharmed
Criminal kidnappings had become common in the region, where the crude in Africa's biggest producer was pumped. More than a dozen foreigners were in captivity.
Hostages were generally released unharmed after a ransom was paid although at least two had been killed in shoot-outs with security forces.
The government of new President Umaru Yar'Adua was trying to calm the oil region. He had sent his deputy, who hails from the Niger Delta, back to his homelands to consult on a wider solution.
One of the best organised gangs, which had carried out a string of kidnappings and bombings, offered a one-month, unilateral truce to gauge the seriousness of the new government in tackling poverty and corruption.
According to the militant spokesperson, it ended on Tuesday and wasn't renewed.
Govt corruption, mismanagement
While the government had met one of the militants' conditions - the release of one of the region's militant leaders - they said their main fight was for greater control of the oil funds.
Despite the Niger Delta's massive natural bounty, the region remained deeply poor. Years of government corruption and mismanagement had squandered most of the funds and villagers living next to multibillion dollar oil installations had no access to electricity or clean water.
The militants stepped up their activities toward the end of 2005, with kidnappings and bombings of oil installations and pipelines that had cut about a quarter of normal oil production, sending prices higher in overseas markets.
After the militants began taking hostages for publicity, several criminal gangs followed suit, seeking ransoms. More than 200 foreigners had been taken in the region, including more than 100 this year alone.
- AP
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