AN Ijaw group identified as Egbema 1 in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State claimed responsibility, yesterday, for the abduction of four American oil workers in the state eight days ago, and gave conditions for their release.
The governor-elect of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, is, however, believed to be working underground to secure the release of the hostages.
Vanguard was told that Dr. Uduaghan had contacted some Ijaw leaders from Egbema area to find out the grievances of the boys and ensure the release of the oil workers without much ado. But efforts to reach the governor-elect for update on how far those he assigned to secure freedom for the kidnapped workers were unsuccessful.
The American workers of Global Offshore International, an oil servicing company to Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), were seized at the company�s Okan fields in the state by Ijaw youths who stormed the vessel, occupied by the expatriates and some indigenous workers at about 11.30 p.m in 12 speedboats.
The group, which overwhelmed the naval personnel guarding the fields after a two-hour gun battle, dispatched some representatives to some Ijaw leaders in Warri, yesterday, to explain why they kidnapped the foreign oil workers and gave conditions for their release.
There was no information on the exact place the hostages were kept in the creeks but it was learnt that they are alive.
A source who was privy to the mission of the delegation told Vanguard that the kidnappers complained that the Ijaw of Egbema were being marginalised in the area of employment by Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and their service companies operating in their domain.
They said they would no longer accept the alleged marginalisation and asked the oil companies, which they also accused of neglect of the area, to provide employment for them.
The kidnappers also accused the state and Federal Governments of under-developing the Egbema Kingdom, saying government should come up with its development plans for the people.
Another issue raised by the group was the chairmanship of Warri North local government. They argued that since the governor-elect, Dr. Uduaghan is Itsekiri, the Ijaw should be allowed to produce the next chairman of the local government.
The current chairman of the council, Mr. Michael Diden, is an Itsekiri and the Ijaw youths who seized the Americans insist that he should not run for a second term, as it was the turn of their ethnic group to preside over the affairs of the council.
Vanguard gathered that while most of the Ijaw leaders consulted by the group agreed that the people were being marginalised, a number of them advised the youths to release the hostages without any condition, as the Federal Government was not willing to take orders from militant groups.