By Camillus Eboh

ABUJA, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Nigerian Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe berated foreign diplomats on Wednesday over what he said were excessive concerns voiced by their countries about insecurity in the oil-producing Niger Delta.

More than 200 foreigners, including a three-year-old girl, have been kidnapped in the Niger Delta since the start of last year. Most were released unharmed in exchange for money, although one British hostage died in a botched rescue attempt.

An American, a Dutchman and a Belgian were murdered in the delta in separate incidents, and a Syrian died of an illness while in the hands of hostage takers.

"In recent times, some foreign countries have issued travel advisories to their nationals against visiting Nigeria, ostensibly on account of the situation in the Niger Delta," Maduekwe told foreign diplomats at a meeting he summoned.

"The criminal actions of a few fortune seekers in the region do not warrant the designation of Nigeria as a perilous environment," he said.

Britain, Nigeria's former colonial ruler, has advised its nationals to leave the three core oil-producing states of Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta. The three-year-old girl who was kidnapped in Rivers in July is half-British. Nigerian children and elderly women have also been kidnapped.

"The security situation in the Niger Delta today has improved significantly, based on decisive steps taken by the government to put an end to wanton acts of criminality and brigandage," Maduekwe told the diplomats.

"For the avoidance of doubt, Nigeria is not at war with itself," he said.

STREET BATTLES

In Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers state, dozens of people were killed last month in street battles involving rival gangs and troops. On Sunday, a Dutchman was found dead in the city with a note on his body accusing him of taking $50,000 to import cars and failing to deliver.

Although other parts of Nigeria are not as dangerous as the Niger Delta, armed robberies are a major problem all over the country. Restaurants popular with expatriates and rich Nigerians are frequently targeted by armed robbers in Lagos and Abuja.

Maduekwe also harangued the diplomats about what he said was poor treatment of Nigerians abroad and of visa applicants.

"The incident of Nigerians losing their lives in the course of encounters with law enforcement agencies ... has attained disturbing and unacceptable proportions," he said in a veiled reference to two incidents involving Greek and Spanish police.

A Nigerian illegal migrant died in June while being deported from Spain with a restraining gag over his mouth. Spanish authorities are investigating the incident.

Greek police have denied they were involved in the death of a legal Nigerian migrant whose fall from a balcony in Thessaloniki last month triggered several clashes pitting anti-racism activists and angry Nigerians against Greek police.

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