ATTEMPTS were being made last night to secure the release of four Scottish oil workers kidnapped at gunpoint in Nigeria, as the Foreign Office confirmed that the men were still alive.
Nigerian government officials have made contact with the men and their kidnappers, who are reported to have demanded $40 million (�21.2 million) for their safe return.
The men – three employed by Aberdeen-based Sparrows Offshore and the other by Oceaneering International Services – were taken hostage on Tuesday.
Paul Smith, 30, of Peterhead, Sandy Cruden, of Inverurie, George Maclean, who is understood to be from Aberdeen, and Graham Buchan, also from the North-east, were abducted by armed militants who stormed a compound in the volatile Delta region of the West African state.
A gang of armed youths burst into Exxon Mobil complex for residential contractors in Eket, near Port Harcourt, and shot dead two guards at the gate.
The rebels, who are believed to be linked to the shadowy militant group the Movement for the Emancipation of the Nigerian Delta, also kidnapped a Romanian, a Malaysian and an Indonesian.
Mr Smith’s wife, Paula, 28, and their sons, Jordan, four, and Keiran, two, were being comforted by relatives at the family home last night.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “There has been contact with the hostages and hostage-takers, and our understanding is that, when that contact was made, they were OK. That is obviously very good news.”
He went on: “We are working very hard in Abuja, the capital, and in Lagos to make sure these guys get out OK.”
Terry McNeill, the corporate communications manager for Sparrows Offshore, said a “complex” operation to try to secure the safe release of all the hostages was ongoing in Nigeria.
He said: “There are employees of a number of companies affected here, and there were nationals of several countries, so the efforts to bring about the safe release of these people are quite complex. We are part of it, but we are just one part of it.
“Obviously, our first concern is the men, but that concern is followed very closely by their families at home. We are in constant contact with the families and will be keeping them informed of developments.”
Jake Molloy, the general secretary of the oil workers’ union, OILC, said the situation in Nigeria was becoming more dangerous for foreign nationals.
He added: “We remain optimistic about the men being released, based what we have experienced in previous incidents. But we are concerned about how long it may be before the kidnappers turn to ritual killings in order to get their way.”
Poor fight back
VIOLENCE in the Niger delta is rooted in poverty, corruption and lawlessness. Most inhabitants have seen few benefits from five decades of oil extraction that has damaged the environment.
Kidnappings are common and hostages are usually released unharmed after receiving ransom money.
Source: The Scotsman