US, British hostages freed in Nigeria

WARRI – Nigerian militants freed three foreign oil workers yesterday after five weeks in captivity, but threatened more attacks on oil facilities in the world’s eighth largest exporter of crude.

The three men, two Americans and one Briton, were handed to the governor of Nigeria’s southern Delta state by an ethnic Ijaw leader who had been negotiating with the militants on behalf of the government. “(The three) are in very good health and high spirits,” said Abel Oshevire, a spokesman for Delta state.”Of course, they are a bit agitated after a month in captivity.”The rebel Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) had demanded a greater share of the region’s huge oil wealth, the release of two jailed Ijaw leaders and compensation for oil pollution as conditions for freeing the hostages.However, they said yesterday that the release was unconditional and did not mean an end to the three-month campaign of sabotage against oil pipelines and platforms that has already cut oil output by a quarter.”This does not signify an end to our attacks.Hostage keeping is a distraction and ties down our units to this irrelevant enterprise,” they said in an e-mail to Reuters.”We will concentrate our attacks now solely on oil facilities and workers found on these facilities.”Their raids have forced oil companies to cut 630 000 barrels a day of oil production in the leading OPEC member, and they have previously threatened to cut another million barrels a day with a major attack this month.President Olusegun Obasanjo is due to fly to Washington today and pressure had been building up for an end to the standoff over the hostages.- Nampa-Reuters”(The three) are in very good health and high spirits,” said Abel Oshevire, a spokesman for Delta state.”Of course, they are a bit agitated after a month in captivity.”The rebel Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) had demanded a greater share of the region’s huge oil wealth, the release of two jailed Ijaw leaders and compensation for oil pollution as conditions for freeing the hostages.However, they said yesterday that the release was unconditional and did not mean an end to the three-month campaign of sabotage against oil pipelines and platforms that has already cut oil output by a quarter.”This does not signify an end to our attacks.Hostage keeping is a distraction and ties down our units to this irrelevant enterprise,” they said in an e-mail to Reuters.”We will concentrate our attacks now solely on oil facilities and workers found on these facilities.”Their raids have forced oil companies to cut 630 000 barrels a day of oil production in the leading OPEC member, and they have previously threatened to cut another million barrels a day with a major attack this month.President Olusegun Obasanjo is due to fly to Washington today and pressure had been building up for an end to the standoff over the hostages.- Nampa-Reuters