MILITANTS again struck yesterday in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, abducting four expatriate staff said to be working for an oil servicing company, Schlumberger. The abduction came just as six foreign oil workers kidnaped by armed men in the troubled creek last month were handed over to Bayelsa State governor, Chief Timipre Sylva.
Sources told Sunday Vanguard that about eight militants who carried out the abduction of the four expatriates staff yesterday were dressed in Mobile police. They stormed the Schlumberger/Anadril compound around Rumuogba area. At the gate, they pretended to be looking for one of their Mobile police colleague who ought to be on duty there.When finally they gained access into the club house in the compound, they reportedly took four of the expatriates hostage.
It could not be confirmed if there was any exchange of gun fire. Sunday Vanguard was not allowed into the premises yesterday morning. But a company source gave the names of the hostages as Salman H, a Pakistani, Jan Van de Mortel, a Dutch, James Thorburn, English and Massoud Hamidi, a French national.
About eleven hours before yesterday’s abduction, eleven expatriate workers of Indorama company, an Indian firm were abducted at their Akpajo residence in Rivers State. It has been harvest of kidnaps in the state in recent time. Worst hit has been staff of Indorama. About two weeks ago, about three of their expatriate workers were also abducted. Exactly after 33 days in captivity in the deep mangrove swamp of the delta serving as one of the camps of the Movement for the Emancipation Niger Delta (MEND) off the Atlantic coast of Bayelsa, the six foreign oil workers kidnapped by gunmen in the troubled creek last month were yesterday handed over to Bayelsa State governor.
The embattled oil workers were before their abduction working on board the Chevron vessel, MV Oloibiri in Ogboinbiri, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state. The released expatriates were Rafelle Pascarielo, (Italian), Alfonso Fracoza, (Italian), Ignazio Gulgota, (Italian),Mario Celetino, (Italian), Juricha Ruic, (Croatian) and John Stapleton,(American). The oil workers, according to a statement issued by MEND, were held hostage to press home certain demands as affecting the people of the region.
Such demands include the release of the erstwhile governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, Alhaji Asari Dokubo, among others. MEND had also threatened that these people would not be released until these demands are met.
However, shortly after the swearing-in ceremony, Sylva waded into the crisis and personally visited the militants in their camp leading to the release of the oil workers.
Although the state government said no ransom was paid to secure their release, informed sources told Sunday Vanguard that the kidnappers were settled. Expressing regret over the incident, especially the number of days the expatriates spent in the jungle, the governor said that hostage taking is a phase that would soon be out in the history of the region. Though the problems of the people of the Niger Delta region were genuine and needed to be addressed, he stressed that government would dialogue with all parties with a view to putting an end to the ugly incident.
Speaking on behalf of the captives, one of them, Mr. John Stapleton, said though they were not physically harassed, that they were psychologically and mentally tortured as they were confined to a place. The expatriates, who were looking healthy, thanked the state governor for his efforts in securing their release.
They later took their bath at the Government House. In his reaction, the operations manager of Chevron/Texaco, Mr. Augustine Emelobe, said the oil companies operating in the region were aware of the problems confronting the people of the region, expressing hope that the global memorandum of understanding entered into with the government would go a long way in resolving such problems.
Meanwhile, MEND has confirmed that the released expatriates were actually in their custody. An online statement made available to Sunday Vanguard, signed by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, read in part, “We confirm the release today June 2, at 1130 hours Nigerian time of all six individuals captured by our fighters on the attack on the Chevron-run facility on the Penington river, on May 1, 2007. Those released are; John Stapleton, Ignazio Gugliotta, Alfonso Franza, Raffaele Pascariello, Mario Celentano and Jurica Ruic. They were originally to have been handed over to the Italian honorary consul, Pillon pino who for security concerns was unable to participate in the release.
“All hostages were handed to the Bayelsa governor, Mr Timipre Sylva who was accompanied by David Brigidi to the camp where these individuals have been held…This release in no way signifies our intention to halt abductions, but a preparedness to dialogue with a willing government. As long as indigenes of the Niger Delta are held by the Nigerian government unjustly, we will continue with the abduction of oil workers and encourage all groups in the delta to do likewise. The present administration is threading the path taken by its predecessor in staging carnivals in Abuja and dialoguing with individuals from the Niger Delta who constantly been proven to be incapable of assisting in quelling the unrest in the delta.”
“MEND” the statement added “will only dialogue with the Nigerian government through intermediaries appointed by us in the presence of a neutral arbiter acceptable to all. We will suspend attacks on oil installations for one month. A period which we hope the government will take advantage of to ruminate on positive and realistic measures towards a just peace in the delta. Following this period, we will resume attacks on installations and oil workers in the delta with greater purpose”