Nigerian Oil Worker Kidnappings

(Lagos, Nigeria) At present, the news reporting on the attack and kidnappings in the Nigerian offshore oil field in the Gulf of Guinea continues to be spotty. It's known that about 40 armed men boarded an oil industry service vessel named Liberty Service and took four foreign workers as hostages. The Nigerian Navy was able to track and locate the kidnappers and hostages on another boat. Contact was made and the four foreigners were reported to be safe.

The names of two of the kidnapped workers have been confirmed: Bulgarian Milko Nichev and Brit Nigel Watson-Clark. A third name was mentioned, Brit Pat Crawlay, but there's been no confirmation. An American was kidnapped according to several reports, however, he has not been identified.

A previously-unknown group called the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) has claimed responsibility for the kidnappings and has demanded the release of two political leaders from jail. They are former Nigerian state governor Alamieyeseigha, jailed in the capitol of Abuja after being arrested in London for money laundering, and Niger Delta guerrilla chief, Alhaji Asari Dokubo.

The leader of the group of kidnappers has been identified as Brutus Etikpaden, who indicated that his group would fight any rescue attempt and the hostages would die in the crossfire. Notably, but unconfirmed, among the abducted foreign workers is a Honduran or a Hungarian.

In closely-related news, a pipeline explosion killed several people and caused a reduction of Nigerian oil production. Developments in the story will be blogged.

More details are here.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.


[Update 01/30/06]

Workers freed.