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| Nigeria oil giant 'paid rebels' | Nigeria oil giant 'paid rebels' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The head of Nigeria's national oil company has said it paid millions of dollars to militants to protect the country's oil infrastructure. | The head of Nigeria's national oil company has said it paid millions of dollars to militants to protect the country's oil infrastructure. |
| Abubakar Yar'Adua of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) made the comments to a national assembly committee. | Abubakar Yar'Adua of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) made the comments to a national assembly committee. |
| He later said he had been misunderstood, and that the company had paid no money to the rebels. | He later said he had been misunderstood, and that the company had paid no money to the rebels. |
| It was the first time the NNPC appeared to acknowledge paying militants. | It was the first time the NNPC appeared to acknowledge paying militants. |
| In recorded comments heard by a BBC reporter in Abuja, Mr Yar'Adua told the parliamentary committee that rebels had asked for a $6m monthly fee, telling them to "take it or leave it". | In recorded comments heard by a BBC reporter in Abuja, Mr Yar'Adua told the parliamentary committee that rebels had asked for a $6m monthly fee, telling them to "take it or leave it". |
| "You have to pay, that's the truth," he said. | "You have to pay, that's the truth," he said. |
| He was also quoted in local newspapers as saying that the company decided to pay up to protect oil facilities sabotaged by militants after it lost $81m worth of oil in two months. | He was also quoted in local newspapers as saying that the company decided to pay up to protect oil facilities sabotaged by militants after it lost $81m worth of oil in two months. |
| "The price we pay is very high. It is difficult to get expatriates to work in the Niger Delta," Mr Yar'Adua was quoted as saying in the Guardian newspaper. | "The price we pay is very high. It is difficult to get expatriates to work in the Niger Delta," Mr Yar'Adua was quoted as saying in the Guardian newspaper. |
| "We paid militants $12 million because we were losing $81 million to the problem of the Chanomic pipeline in Delta State." | |
| It has long been suspected by human rights activists that the NNPC has been paying militant groups in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta to stop their activities. | It has long been suspected by human rights activists that the NNPC has been paying militant groups in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta to stop their activities. |
| Attacks on Nigeria's oil infrastructure have cut oil production by about a quarter. | Attacks on Nigeria's oil infrastructure have cut oil production by about a quarter. |