Militants claim Nigeria oil raid

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/africa/6220562.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Militants fighting in Nigeria's main oil-producing region have claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of three Italians and a Lebanese man.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) say they staged the dawn raid to secure the release of two leaders and oil wealth for locals.

Mend also threatened to stage more attacks ahead of an Opec summit, to be held in Nigeria next week.

Those kidnapped work for Agip - a part of Italian oil giant ENI SpA.

Mend says it is fighting a political struggle and in recent months has distanced itself from kidnappings for ransom carried out by other armed gangs in the Niger Delta.

"We will not entertain talk concerning the release of the captured hostages. They will be exchanged for at least a part of our demands," Mend said in an e-mail sent to journalists.

Umbrella group

The group demands the release of militant leader Mujahid Dokubo Asari, held on treason charges and former Bayelsa State governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, accused of corruption.

They also want compensation for environmental destruction in the Niger Delta and local control of Nigeria's oil wealth.

"The following days will witness more attacks against oil industry targets," Mend said.

Kidnappings for ransom are common in the Niger Delta and hostages are usually freed after ransom payments.

A British hostage and a Nigerian worker were, however, killed during a recent botched rescue attempt.

The BBC's Alex Last in Lagos says Mend is an umbrella organisation that uses different armed gangs to carry out its attacks.

When not working as militants, the gunmen are often involved in kidnapping for ransom, work for local politicians or involved in the lucrative industry of stealing and smuggling vast amounts of crude oil.

Our correspondent says the militants might have their own ideas about when and how the hostages should be released.

Thursday's dawn raid by masked men in about seven speedboats left one person dead, who may have been a bystander.

The commander of Nigerian armed troops deployed in the Niger Delta to protect oil installations said the gunmen tried to storm the oil flow station but were repelled by his men who exchanged fire with them.

"They did not succeed in entering the terminal but instead they by-passed it and went to a residential facility where they kidnapped (the) expatriates," Alfred Ilogho told Reuters news agency.

A police spokesman said one person was killed in the attack.

The world's eighth biggest exporter of crude has been losing more than 500,000 barrels of oil per day since February when militants demanding greater local control of oil wealth staged a series of raids on the industry.