The Nigerian government has ruled out using its military might to secure the release of the nine foreign oil workers kidnapped by Niger Delta militants on Saturday.
The nine hostages, all foreign were kidnapped in an attack on Shell’s Forcados terminal in the Niger Delta region. This comes barely a month after four expatriates were held for 19 days by militants from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta.
Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has set up a committee to ensure the release of the hostages.
The abduction of the nine oil workers came on the heels of the expiration of Mend’s ultimatum to multinational oil companies to quit the volatile region.
According to the media, Forcados terminal is one of the most important and strategic installations in the region, and with the facility badly damaged, oil production has already suffered major cut.
With the price of oil at $58 per barrel, Nigeria will be losing about $6-million a day due to the closure of the facility.