nigeria daily
"A ripe melon falls by itself" - Zimbabwe proverb
|
Nigeria dailyNigeria militants report jail break of a leader held by security forces
found January 29, 2007 at mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp Several other civilians suffered injured, but there were no casualties reported among security forces, said Felix Ugbaudu, police commissioner of Rivers state where the attack occurred. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said the military sent armored personnel carriers and gunships against about 50 of its fighters who sprang the group leader and spirited him back into the vast region of swamps and creeks where most of the crude in Africa's oil giant is pumped. The group said in a statement that its fighters carried machine guns, grenades and assault rifles during the one-hour gunbattle, but that none of the militants suffered injury or death. Separately, a Belgian man was reported killed in another city in the region and his driver and a female acquaintance were in custody, police said Sunday. The man was killed in a fish market Saturday near the city of Warri in the southern region of Africa's biggest oil producer, Delta state police Commissioner Udom Ekpoudom said. Ekpoudom said police were investigating, but that the motive for the killing didn't appear to be related to a surge of violence targeting foreign oil workers in the region. He had no further details. Criminals and militants seeking greater control of oil funds for their impoverished region have stepped up their attacks on Nigeria's oil industry in recent months, blowing up pipelines and kidnapping workers. More than 80 workers were kidnapped last year and dozens more have been seized this month, with more than three dozen foreign workers currently in captivity. Hostages are rarely harmed by their captors, but there have been casualties in gunfights when Nigerian security forces confront the kidnappers. Despite the region's great oil stores, most of the region's people are mired in deep poverty that they blame on corrupt government officials and unfair contracts with the international oil companies that pump most of the crude. Attacks in the past year have cut nearly one quarter of Nigeria's daily 2.5 million barrel per day crude output, helping send oil prices to high levels in international markets. (AP) January 29, 2007 |
African Business
African Development Bank South African bank Stocks African Bank stocks african business A continent of opportunities More sites: Diamonds
Business News business
foreclosure news marketing news weather info
|
|
contact:
or contact
me | |