DATE=8/2/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=NIGERIA / HOSTAGES (L)
NUMBER=2-265059
BYLINE=PURNELL MURDOCK
DATELINE=ABIDJAN
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Militants in southeastern Nigeria have taken
165 people hostage at two installations operated by
the oil company, Royal Dutch Shell. V-O-A's Purnell
Murdock reports from our West Africa Bureau.
TEXT: A company spokesman says about 30 militants
from communities in southern Baylesa State came to the
oil rigs in boats Monday and took them over.
The oilrigs are located in mangrove swamps about 100
kilometers north of the city of Port Harcourt.
The spokesman says the captors are demanding
employment for local residents and compensation for
oil taken from the Niger river delta region.
At least 14 foreigners are believed to be among the
165 people taken hostage. Their nationalities were
not immediately known.
Company officials say the captives are not employees
of Shell, but rather are employees of service
companies working for the oil company.
Shell officials say they are meeting with local
officials to help free the captives. They say there
is increasing concern the hostages may be running out
of food.
Violent protests by impoverished local residents
demanding more access to oil wealth have hampered oil
production in recent years.
The most common attacks against the oil companies have
been vandalism along oil pipelines. Hundreds of
people died last month in Delta State in fires ignited
accidentally by local villagers siphoning gasoline
from damaged pipelines.
Some analysts say villagers are driven by poverty and
anger over what they see as government and oil
industry complicity in spoiling the local environment.
Shell is the largest of the multi-national oil
companies operating in Nigeria. Its production
accounts for nearly one-half of the nation's total
daily output of just over two-million barrels a day.
(Signed)
NEB/WPM/JWH/JP
02-Aug-2000 09:31 AM LOC (02-Aug-2000 1331 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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