Three foreign hostages rescued in Nigeria

LAGOS – The Nigerian military rescued two Croats and one Montenegrin man yesterday who were being held by suspected ransom-seekers in Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger Delta, a state government spokesman said.

The three men working for oil services company Hydrodive were kidnapped on February 19 from a bar outside their base in the city of Port Harcourt. “They were rescued from Ogbakiri last night by a military operation,” an oil industry source said.Rivers State Information Commissioner Magnus Abe confirmed the release, adding that it occurred at 3 am yesterday.Two Italians and one Frenchman seized by different armed groups are still in captivity in the Niger Delta.Thousands of foreign oil workers have fled Nigeria, the world’s eighth largest oil exporter, since an escalation in kidnappings and militant raids last year.A fifth of Nigeria’s oil output has been shut by militant attacks for more than a year.A community leader in Ogbakiri, a waterside village a few miles outside Port Harcourt, said troops had invaded the area shooting, made several arrests and beaten up residents.”They said they were looking for the people who kidnapped some expatriates.They were shooting and everyone ran into the bush.Some people were wounded and some arrested,” the community leader said, asking not to be named because he is being monitored by the security agencies.”The community is innocent.They want the government to bring water, electricity and a hospital,” he added.Nampa-Reuters”They were rescued from Ogbakiri last night by a military operation,” an oil industry source said.Rivers State Information Commissioner Magnus Abe confirmed the release, adding that it occurred at 3 am yesterday.Two Italians and one Frenchman seized by different armed groups are still in captivity in the Niger Delta.Thousands of foreign oil workers have fled Nigeria, the world’s eighth largest oil exporter, since an escalation in kidnappings and militant raids last year.A fifth of Nigeria’s oil output has been shut by militant attacks for more than a year.A community leader in Ogbakiri, a waterside village a few miles outside Port Harcourt, said troops had invaded the area shooting, made several arrests and beaten up residents.”They said they were looking for the people who kidnapped some expatriates.They were shooting and everyone ran into the bush.Some people were wounded and some arrested,” the community leader said, asking not to be named because he is being monitored by the security agencies.”The community is innocent.They want the government to bring water, electricity and a hospital,” he added.Nampa-Reuters