Nigerian president, security
chiefs meet on oil-sector kidnappings
AFP
ABUJA
Petroleumworld.com 02 07 06
Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, heads of security agencies
and state governors met Monday to discuss ways to stem violence
against foreign oil interests in the Niger Delta, an official
statement said.
"The meeting agreed on steps to ensure that such incidents
were nipped in the bud," said the statement from the president's
office.
The statement did not elaborate on the steps agreed a week after
four hostages freed unharmed in the southern oil-rich region.
During the meeting, Obasanjo commended governors as well as security
agencies for their roles in obtaining the release of the hostages
-- an American, a Briton, a Bulgarian and a Honduran -- after
19 days in captivity.
The four were taken to Abuja where they met Obasanjo.
The insurgents immediately vowed to continue a campaign of violence
against the country's key oil and gas industries.
But Obasanjo assured the ex-hostages and the international community
that his government would stand firm against the rebels.
"I want to assure you, and your employers, Nigerians and
the international community that we will do everything humanly
possible to try to prevent a recurrence of what has happened,"
Obasanjo told the men.
"We've had hostage-takings in the past -- they were acting
as terrorists -- but this was the longest and most traumatic case
for you, your employers and even for those of us in government,"
he said at a brief ceremony.
During the meeting with the security chiefs, Obasanjo stressed
that the government was committed to ensuring development, safety,
peace and harmony in the country, including in the Niger Delta,
the statement said.
The four crewmen were captured on January 11 by a heavily armed
group riding speedboats who boarded the Liberty Service -- an
oil industry supply vessel working under contract for the energy
giant Shell.
Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil exporter, producing 2.6 million
barrels of crude per day, and the crisis in the Delta has combined
with fears of renewed instability in the Middle East to push prices
towards historic highs.
On the same day as the hostages were taken, militants blew up
Shell's Trans-Ramos pipeline. Four days later, they stormed the
firm's Benisede flow station, killed 14 soldiers and two oilmen,
and burned down buildings.
Shell slashed production by 221,000 barrels per day and warned
tankers loading at its Forcados export terminal to expect delays
of up to two weeks.
AFP
02 06 06
Copyright
© 2006 AFP. All rights reserved
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