Oil Workers Kidnapped in Nigeria

(Yenagoa, Nigeria) Nigerian militants kidnapped more oil service workers, nine Koreans and one Nigerian, in the Niger River delta on Wednesday -- an all too frequent occurrence.

Reportedly, the attack at a pipeline construction site was deadly but, thus far, no casualties have been reported.

Daewoo Construction spokesman Johnson Agagbo identified the kidnapped workers as M. S. Lee. J.T. Hong, W.S. Kim, N.S. Kim, Y. M. Park, Y.I. Yoon, J. C. Choi, J.G. Kim, J.J. Choi and a Nigerian, E. Augustine.

According to the Bayelsa State Police report, a guard force assigned to protect the site was ineffective.

"Today, 10 of January 2007, we received a distress call from Daewoo Construction that armed youths numbering 50 in five speed boats invaded the company and kidnapped nine Koreans.

As of the time of this kidnapping, 18 soldiers were on guard. The police did not have armed guard; the five men posted to the company were for escort. And as at the time of the attack they were sleeping in one of the rooms given to them. But we have since discovered that they fired some shots but when they learnt they were all alone, they had to take cover elsewhere."

Typically, the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) has been responsible for the bulk of the attacks against the oil industry, but the group denied involvement in this latest incident. As indicated by the photo above, the Nigerian militants do not appear on sight to be a very disciplined, much less military, force. Of course, appearances can be deceiving.