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June 21, 2006
Filipino oilmen seized in Nigeria
Two Filipino oil workers have been kidnapped in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta, police have confirmed.
Six gunmen in a speedboat seized the two near the south-eastern city of Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Police say it not yet clear which group is responsible for the abductions, as no-one has made contact.
It is the latest in a string of assaults on foreign oil workers in the region by militants, who want more local control of oil wealth.
The upsurge of attacks has cut Nigeria's oil production by 25% - a key factor in the high world price of crude oil.
The abductees are contract workers for Petroleum Geo-Services (PGS).
"Six armed men came in a boat and abducted the two Filipinos. They were not harmed or injured. We have no contact with them since the sad incident took place," a PGS spokesman told AFP news agency.
The Niger Delta is home to Nigeria's oil industry, but there is widespread poverty and numerous armed militia groups which operate in the area.
One group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend), says it is fighting for greater local control of the oil revenues and compensation from oil companies for pollution in the Delta.
The BBC's Alex Last in Lagos says in most previous cases armed groups have taken hostages to extort money from oil companies and the government.
Posted by Publisher at June 21, 2006 11:46 AM
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