Gunmen kidnap 2 foreigners Nigeria |
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Mon, 02 Apr 2007 16:48
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LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) - Gunmen seized two foreign workers Monday in Nigeria's southern oil-producing region, officials said.The attackers snatched the men from their work compound in southern Bayelsa state, said Godknows Igali, a government negotiator in the region, which has seen more than 100 foreigners kidnapped over the past year.A colleague of the two construction workers said they were Lebanese. The pair were taken after a prolonged gunbattle, but there were no casualties reported, said the colleague, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of company restrictions on dealings with the media.On Saturday, gunmen kidnapped a British oil worker from an offshore oil rig -- the latest in a spate of kidnappings in Nigeria's oil-rich but impoverished Niger River delta region.Nearly 70 foreigners have been taken since the beginning of the year but most are released unharmed after a cash payment. Over 150 foreigners have been taken in 14 months of rising violence. A Dutch construction worker and two Chinese also remain in captivity.Some of the kidnappers make political demands, including the release of an ex-governor on trial for corruption and a former militant leader charged with treason. Other gangs demand large cash payments.Many of the groups enjoy protection from local politicians who are suspected of using them as hired labor to help rig elections scheduled for next month.Though Nigeria's oil wealth generates tens of billions of dollars of oil every year, the majority of Nigerians remain mired in poverty. Throughout the delta region, poor villagers without access to clean water or electricity live side by side with multimillion-dollar oil installations.Nigeria, Africa's largest oil producer, is also rated one of the most corrupt countries in the world by Berlin-based watchdog Transparency International.Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Police: Nigeria gunmen shoot 2; 1 dies 