Nigeria: 'New wave of kidnappings planned'
Militants in Nigeria are planning a major new wave of attacks and kidnappings in the next few days that could include up to 20 simultaneous bombings across the country’s oil-rich delta region, US diplomats warned today.
The main militant group active in the area, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, declined to confirm the allegation, saying only, “we (are) always planning one thing or the other. Are we executing any soon? Probably.”
The US warning came in an e-mailed statement sent to American citizens from the US Consulate in Nigeria’s main city, Lagos and a US diplomat confirmed plans for fresh attacks were believed to be under way.
“The US government has learned that as of late October 2006, a militant Niger Delta group may have finalised its plans for a unified attack against oil facilities in the Niger Delta region,” the statement said.
“The attacks allegedly will be carried out sometime during the first week of November and will include 10 to 20 simultaneous bombings of land-based targets and a series of separate attacks on oil installations in which expatriate workers will be taken hostage.”
The statement gave no details on what specific oil installations might be targeted, and Nigerian government officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
A diplomat at the US Consulate in Lagos confirmed the threat was being taken seriously but had no other details.
Queried a second time, the main militant group, known as MEND, said only: “I cannot tell for certain if they are referring to our planned attacks, which will take place quite soon. It may not exactly follow the format described” by the US Consulate.
Since the beginning of this year, various militant groups in Nigeria have attacked oil pipelines and taken expatriate oil workers hostage in violence that has cut about 25 percent of the country’s usual crude output of about 2.5 million barrels daily.
The militants say they are fighting on behalf of an impoverished population for a greater share of wealth from oil companies and the federal government, which apportions the revenues among Nigeria’s 36 states.
Nigeria is the world’s eight-biggest oil exporter and fifth-biggest source of US oil imports.
The latest kidnapping crisis occurred yesterday, when unidentified gunmen in speedboats seized a Briton and an American from an offshore oil-prospecting vessel belonging to Petroleum Geo-Services, an oil field services company based in Oslo, Norway, that was engaged by oil giant Chevron Corp. to survey the seabed for oil deposits.
Government emissaries made contact with the kidnappers today and said both hostages were in good health, said Joshua Benamesia, a security aide to Bayelsa State Gov. Goodluck Jonathan.
“We’ve made contact, and I can confirm the hostages are well,” Benamesia said.
Benamesia said the gunmen claim to have acted on behalf of the Ezetu community living near Chevron’s Funiwa platform to back demands for jobs and the building of a local hospital. He gave no further details.
The US Consulate said the latest attack “indicates a continuation of the violence seen since earlier this year in the Niger Delta region".
It also advised American citizens “to exercise caution in their daily activities, and to avoid travel to the Niger Delta region. Americans in the area should limit their travel, particularly at night, and should avoid public venues whenever possible.”
