CHRONOLOGY-Nigerian militant attacks on oil, gas industries
Source: Reuters
March 9 (Reuters) - A Filipino oil contractor abducted on Feb. 6 in Nigeria's southern Niger Delta has been freed and handed over to his employers, police said on Friday. Gunmen had seized the man on the road to the oil city of Port Harcourt, killing at least one of the Nigerian policemen who were escorting him. He was freed on Thursday. A wave of recent attacks led to a cut in Nigeria's oil production capacity of one-fifth. Output has yet to recover. Following is a chronology of some major attacks and kidnappings involving the Nigerian oil industry this year. Jan. 12, 2007 - Nine South Korean workers and one Nigerian are freed after being kidnapped when gunmen attacked a base operated by South Korea's Daewoo Engineering and Construction in the Bayelsa state capital, Yenagoa, on Jan. 10. -- Jan. 16 - Three people, including a Dutch oil worker, are killed when their boat, operated by South Korean firm Hyundai, is attacked on its way to the Bonny Island export terminal. -- Jan. 18 - Gunmen free five Chinese telecom workers, kidnapped on Jan. 5 in Rivers State. One Italian is released in Bayelsa state. Three foreigners remain in captivity. -- Jan. 23 - Gunmen kidnap two engineers, one American and one British, in the southern oil city of Port Harcourt. The Briton is released on Feb. 7 and the American on Feb 17. -- Jan. 27 - A Belgian man working for a building materials company dies of gunshot wounds after gunmen ambushed him in Warri in the western Delta. -- Feb. 4 - Nine men working for the Chinese National Petroleum Company (CNPC), which was doing work for Shell in Bayelsa state, are released. They were kidnapped on Jan. 25. Feb. 7 - A Frenchman, working on contract for oil giant Total, is kidnapped in Port Harcourt. -- Feb. 13 - Militants release all 24 Filipino crew members, who were captured when their cargo ship, belonging to German line Baco-Liner, was attacked on Jan. 20. -- Feb. 18 - Gunmen kidnap one Montenegrin and two Croatian oil workers, employees of Hydrodrive Nigeria, an offshore oil services company, in the Iwofe district of Port Harcourt. -- Feb. 23 - Gunmen shoot a Lebanese construction engineer in Port Harcourt. -- Feb. 26 - Two Italians, working for construction company Impregilo are released. They were kidnapped near Port Harcourt on Feb. 23. -- Feb. 28 - Gunmen kidnap a Lebanese construction worker at Mbiama community in Rivers state. He is employed by local firm Alren Construction Nigeria Ltd. He is released three days later. -- March 8 - A Filipino worker, kidnapped on the road between Port Harcourt and Owerri on Feb. 6, is released.
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