An Italian hostage released by his abductors in the Niger Delta, the hub of Nigeria’s oil industry, arrived back in Italy evening, local media reported.
“I’m fine,” he told Ansa news agency after he landed at the Rome-Ciampino military airport, apparently in good physical condition.
The 64-year-old employee of Italian oil firm Agip was kidnapped in the Niger Delta on December 7, 2006, along with fellow Italians Cosma Russo and Francesco Arena, and Lebanese national Imad Saliba.
He was released on Thursday as “an act of goodwill” by his captors, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).
“There are no discussions ongoing with regards to the release of the remaining two Italians and one Lebanese still in our custody. They are being held indefinitely as we previously indicated,” MEND said in an email statement.
MEND is campaigning for oil firms exploiting Nigeria’s multi-million-dollar oil reserves to relinquish some control over the black gold to poverty-stricken local communities and compensate them for the dire oil pollution blighting their lives.
The movement has also demanded the release of the former Bayelsa State governor, separatist leader Mujahid Dokubo-Asari and other detainees from the region.