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Militants Abduct Agip Worker in Port Harcourt

Daily Champion (Lagos)
NEWS
15 May 2007
Posted to the web 15 May 2007
Lagos
Unidentified gunmen on Monday snatched a Nigerian working for Italian oil
giant, Agip in Rivers State.
"The man was abducted this (Monday) morning. He is a Nigerian", state
commissioner of police, Felix Ogbaudu told AFP.
He said details of the abduction were still sketchy. Security agents were
working "seriously" to track down the kidnappers.
Agip officials were not immediately available for confirmation.
Home to Nigeria's multi-billion-dollar oil and gas resources, the Nigeria Delta
has seen an upsurge in kidnappings of foreign and local workers in recent
months, mainly in the oil industry.
This month alone more than 30 foreigners have been abducted in the region. More
than 150 foreign workers have been kidnapped there since the start of last
year.
The vast majority were released unharmed, but several were injured or killed by
the Nigerian military in rescue attempts. Dozens of security officers also lost
their lives.
The Niger Delta area is at the centre of a long confrontation between the
government and militants who claim to be fighting for a larger share of the
country's oil resources for local people as well as a plethora of armed gangs
out to take ransom money.

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