Nigerian militants claim oil attack, threaten more
Source: Reuters
(Adds U.S. consulate warning in paragraphs 9-10) By Estelle Shirbon ABUJA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - A militant group which has crippled Nigeria's oil industry threatened new attacks on Friday and claimed responsibility for Thursday's raid on an oil export terminal in which four foreign workers were kidnapped. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which says it is fighting for local control of oil revenues, said it would release the four captives only in exchange for "hostages of Niger Delta origin in Nigerian government hands". The threats were made six days before Nigeria is due to host a meeting of OPEC ministers in the capital, Abuja. They also coincide with a turbulent time in Nigerian politics, with parties holding primaries ahead of elections in April. "We say to all oil companies in the delta, your nightmare has not even begun," MEND wrote in an email to media. "With the persistent obstinacy of the oil companies and the Nigerian government, we have resolved to be more ruthless. Nigerian staff attached to the Agip terminal are warned never to return to that facility or face executions." The statement was referring to the Italian firm Agip's Brass terminal, which exports 200,000 barrels per day. Masked gunmen in speedboats attacked it at dawn on Thursday, kidnapping three Italians and one Lebanese and killing a local youth. Agip's parent company Eni <ENI.MI> has said operations at Brass were unaffected. Kidnappings for ransom are common in the Niger Delta and hostages are usually released unharmed after money changes hands. However, one Briton and one Nigerian were killed this year in botched attempts by troops to release them. U.S. WARNING The U.S. consulate in Lagos issued a circular on Friday warning Americans of possible new attacks in the delta. "A militant Niger Delta group has reportedly recruited and trained militants for renewed attacks on oil installations and expatriate oil workers in the Niger Delta region," it said. MEND captured dozens of expatriates during a series of sophisticated raids in January and February. All were released unharmed on undisclosed terms after up to five weeks. MEND is a faceless group that emerged early in 2006. Its attacks on the industry forced the closure of more than 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude output from the world's eighth biggest exporter. The production remains shut in. Since then, the group has made several dramatic threats to completely halt Nigerian oil exports and to attack state governors in the Niger Delta, but it has not carried these out. In a statement on Thursday, the group reiterated demands for the release of two jailed leaders from the Niger Delta and compensation by companies to residents for oil spills. MEND also called for the Nigerian government to hand over control of oil assets in the delta to local communities and pay reparation to the people of the region for what it called "50 years of enslavement and robbery". This was a reference to oil extraction which started 50 years ago in the delta. The Niger Delta, which accounts for all of Nigeria's oil output, has been plagued by kidnappings, attacks on oil facilities, politically motivated violence, theft and smuggling of crude for years. Militancy and crime are fuelled by widespread resentment against the oil industry which is seen as yielding huge revenues for corrupt governments and for foreign oil firms while bringing few benefits to impoverished residents. The security forces are unable to secure the vast, impenetrable region of mangrove-lined creeks and swamps.
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