NIGERIA: Four kidnapped foreign oil workers read out their captor's demands in a telephone call

Record ID: 236565

  • Title: NIGERIA: Four kidnapped foreign oil workers read out their captor's demands in a telephone call
  • Date: 17th January 2006
  • Summary: (BN02) UNKNOWN LOCATION (JANUARY 16, 2006) (REUTERS) STILL OF UNIDENTIFIED OIL PLATFORM (SOUNDBITE) (English) RECORDING OF BRITISH HOSTAGE NIGEL WATSON-CLARK'S TELEPHONE CALL SAYING: "I've got my three colleagues here, and I've been asked to put across to you that you should send on behalf of all our families our reassurances that we are still OK. "There's no publication for the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or any publicity should be hidden. We'd like our governments to put pressure on the Nigerian government to come to negotiations to secure our release as soon as possible. We are being well taken care of, but the environment is not condusive to us, and obviously we'd prefer to be released. The Nigerian Government shouldn't make any attempt though by military intervention, they should not make any attempt to rescue us, as it should be made clear that it may result in the loss of our lives. "Now there's a number of demands for The Movement of the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, and these are as follows: first one, the immediate release of (inaudible), the immediate release of (inaudible), the former governor of the Bayelsa state, the release of Joshua (inaudible) who was arrested in (inaudible) oil station. Fourth is that Shell Petroleum Development Company is to pay out a stake of 1.5 billion US dollars that they owe to the state for environmental damage and (inaudible). The fifth demand is that they want full control of the resources in the Niger Delta. And finally sir, if the Nigerian Government do not meet with these demands within 48 hours, whatever happens is in their own doing, OK that's a list of their demands."
  • Embargoed: 1st February 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Industry
  • Reuters ID: LVA2AA6OKUWWNZCRQ09X2HV5H5MC
  • Story Text: One of four foreign oil workers kidnapped by militants in Nigeria spoke to Reuters by telephone on their sixth day in captivity on Monday (January 16), reading out the captors' demands and warning against attempted rescue.
    The kidnappers have staged a series of attacks on oil pipelines, platforms and workers over the past three weeks, denting supply from the world's eighth largest exporter and driving up world prices.
    The four hostages -- an American, a Briton, a Bulgarian and a Honduran -- said in what appeared to be prepared statements that they were being treated well, but that any attempted military intervention or rescue could cost them their lives.
    The Briton, who identified himself as Nigel Watson-Clark, read out a list of five demands by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, with a 48 hour deadline.
    "I've got my three colleagues here, and I've been asked to put across to you that you should send on behalf of all our families our reassurances that we are still OK. There's no publication for The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta , or any publicity should be hidden. We'd like our governments to put pressure on the Nigerian government to come to negotiations to secure our release as soon as possible. We are being well taken care of, but the environment is not condusive to us, and obviously we'd prefer to be released. The Nigerian Government shouldn't make any attempt though by military intervention, they should not make any attempt to rescue us, as it should be made clear that it may result in the loss of our lives.
    "Now there's a number of demands for The Movement of the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, and these are as follows: first one, the immediate release of (inaudible), the immediate release of (inaudible) the former governor of the Bayelsa state, the release of Joshua (inaudible) who was arrested in (inaudible) oil station. Fourth is that Shell Petroleum Development Company is to pay out a stake of 1.5 billion US dollars that they owe to the state for environmental damage and (inaudible). The fifth demand is that they want full control of the resources in the Niger Delta. And finally sir, if the Nigerian Government do not meet with these demands within 48 hours, whatever happens is in their own doing, OK that's a list of their demands."
    Royal Dutch Shell evacuated 330 workers from four oil platforms after the latest attack on Sunday (January 15), and is considering more withdrawals amid uncertainty over where the militants will strike next, a senior oil industry source said.
    The militant group has vowed to stop all oil exports from Nigeria and advised workers to leave the delta or die.
    The group demands local control of the Niger Delta's oil wealth, payment of $1.5 billion by Royal Dutch Shell <RDSa.L> to the Bayelsa state government to compensate for pollution, and the release of three men including two ethnic Ijaw leaders.
    Analysts say the violence is also part of growing regional rivalry in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, ahead of presidential elections in 2007. Brigadier-General Elias Zamani, who leads a military task force of thousands in the delta, told Reuters that he had not yet located the hostages, but that he was gathering information on the kidnappers.
    Four soldiers and eight militants were killed in a firefight on Sunday at Shell's Benisede platform, he said.
    Two attacks last week hit Nigeria's oil output by 226,000 barrels a day, or 10 percent, but it has since recovered to leave a 5 percent shortfall.
    The possibility of a major Shell staff pullout raises the prospect of deeper output cuts and will increase pressure on President Olusegun Obasanjo's government to crack down on the militants.
    Violence against oil workers is frequent in the Niger Delta, which accounts for almost all of Nigeria's 2.4 million barrels a day output and where an estimated 20 million people live in poverty alongside a multibillion-dollar industry.
    Ruled by military dictators for most of its history since independence from Britain in 1960, Nigeria returned to civilian government in 1999, but ethnic militia and organised thuggery remain a feature of political life.
    Much of the rhetoric of militant Niger Delta groups is echoed by regional politicians, who have demanded a greater share of the oil wealth and the right to pick the ruling party candidate for elections in 2007.
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