Arising from the recent upsurge in the hostage taking in the Niger Delta, most foreign mission operating in Nigeria have requested to be given a greater role in the security of their nationals working in the oil industries in Nigeria.
Only recently both Korean and Chinese nationals where taken hostage and set free after protracted negotiation that involve the Nigerian embassies of the affected nationals.
Vanguard investigations revealed that not less than 15 foreign mission now offer mandatory security advise about the situation in the Niger Delta to its nationals that come to Nigeria to work.
Consequently, the affected embassies have created a Niger Delta Security Desk under the purview of the office of the Defence Attach�.
The Embassies have also notified the Nigerian authority of this initiative with a request that henceforth its securities officials be allowed active over sight in the assessment and exposure to security risk in the Niger Delta by its nationals.
A source in one of the embassies from the far east who confided in Vanguard said the creation of the Niger Delta security desk had become necessary as part of measures to minimise the exposure of its national to the security risk in the Niger Delta.
According to the diplomat, who pleaded not to be named, �The situation in the Niger Delta have been subject review and discussion among some of the friendly missions operating in Nigeria and this initiative is one of the measures that is now in place to minimise exposure to the security risk in the Niger Delta.
�It does not in any way imply that we want to do the job of the Nigerian security apparatus but we are only concerned about how to protect our nationals from the risk of working in a region that is gradually spinning out of control,� he said.