SOURCE: BBC, 12/1/03
See Original Article Source

All five remaining foreign oil workers taken hostage in Nigeria's Warri region last week have been released unharmed.

The five - two Colombians, a Briton, a Russian and a Moldovan - were freed late on Sunday, Nigerian army captain Femi Ogunjimi told the BBC.

The kidnappers, who seized the men on Thursday and held them on a boat, earlier freed a Russian and Australian.

The captors, armed ethnic Ijaw youths, were demanding the equivalent of $36,000, but no ransom had been paid.

The BBC's Anna Borzello in Lagos says kidnapping is common in the oil-rich Delta region where many people feel they have not benefited from the nation's massive oil wealth.

"All of them (hostages) have been freed. The Brit is doing well." -- British embassy spokesman in Nigeria

However in nearly all cases, the hostages are released without harm.

Last week, 18 Nigerian oil workers were kidnapped by heavily armed militants but were subsequently freed.

'In good spirits'

The five foreign workers are employed by the Scottish-based oil pipeline coating company Bredero Price, which is part of Canadian pipeline giant Bredero.

Nigerian naval patrols had been searching for the hostages since they were kidnapped last Thursday while testing a boat on the outskirts of the regional town of Warri.

After lengthy negotiations between the captors and Nigerian officials, the five hostages were brought to the Warri town waterfront on Sunday and then allowed to go.

They were all in good health and good spirits, Captain Ogunjimi said.

He said the pipeline company had given some money to cover the cost of food, fuel and the boat the kidnappers had hired while holding the men in the swamps.

The Nigerian Navy said the kidnappers had no political agenda.

Back to PhotoEssay