US, Britain Send Team to Negotiate Hostages’ Release

The US and Britain have sent a delegation to Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta to try to secure the release of three of their nationals still being held hostage by ethnic Ijaw separatists, a local official said Wednesday.

The delegation was to meet with James Ibori, governor of Delta State and head of a Nigerian government committee set up to negotiate the release of the hostages, said Ovuozourie Macaulay, state commissioner for ethnic relations and conflict resolution.

The three hostages, Cody Oswalt and Russel Spell of the US and John Hudsmith of Britain, were abducted on February 18 by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), along with six others who were released last week.

All are employees of the Texas-based Willbros Group and were laying oil pipelines for Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell.

Also Wednesday, MEND dismissed as irrelevant the removal of Brigadier-General Elias Zamani from the command of government troops charged with restoring peace to the region.

“It was not one of our demands,” MEND spokesman Jomo Gbomo said, adding, “He is neither the problem of the Niger Delta, nor his removal the solution.”

“The Nigerian government is trying to pretend to the world our attacks have no effect on the oil industry in Nigeria,” Gbomo said and vowed to continue attacks on oil installations “on an even greater scale.”

MEND has demanded the release of two Ijaw leaders, impeached Bayelsa State governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, who is standing trial for embezzlement of public funds, and Mujahideen Asari Dokubo, who is on trial for treason after declaring that Nigeria had no reason to exist as a unified country.

Dokubo waged a separatist war against Nigeria in 2004.

MEND are also demanding the “de-militarization” of the Niger Delta and the payment of $1.5 billion in fines from Shell for environmental degradation.

As demanded by the government, the Ijaw have put together a seven- man committee to negotiate the release of the three remaining hostages, Bello Oboko, president of the Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities (FNDIC), another pressure group, said Wednesday.

FNDIC helped in securing the release of the other six hostages.

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