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The militants of the Movement for the Emancipation of the
Niger Delta released seven abducted oil workers to Anglo- Dutch oil giant Shell
Oil Company on Monday, through offices of the governor of Bayelsa State,
Timipreye Sylva.
The hostages were four Nigerians and three foreigners, Captain
Theo Courtiers of Britain,
Lee McNamara of Russia
and Mate Lusa of Croatia.
The release took place in Yenagoa, the capital of the state
in the Niger Delta region, secured by James Jephtah, head of the peace and
conflict resolution committee in Bayelsa state, at 5:45 pm, local hour.
Through this kidnap, the militants are aiming to obtain the
release of the movement’s spokesman, Henry Okah, a.k.a. Jomo Gbomo, who is
detained in Angola
on charges of gun-running.
The kidnapping took place on Shell’s “EA” field in the Ekeremor council area of
Bayelsa State, on Saturday.
The abduction of oil workers, vandalism and oil theft was enhanced by the
militants in the area since 2006 as they try to gain control over the vast oil
and gas resources of the area where was trying to resume crude oil production
in its western operations area in the Niger Delta.
115,000 barrels of crude oil are produced daily by the “EA”
field, but production was suspended last year due to abductions and vandalism.
Governor Timipreye Sylva made a vow that such kidnappings
would stop and asked oil companies to reopen their closed offices.
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