Niger Delta: 14 kidnapped oil workers regain freedom

Nigerian police have freed
14 kidnapped oil workers in the restive southern
Niger Delta region, which has been hit by a series
of militant attacks on oil and gas facilities, police
said on Sunday.
Kidnapping for ransom is a common problem in
some parts of Nigeria and the southern Delta
energy hub has seen an increase in crime since
the start of attacks by militants calling for more oil
wealth to go to the impoverished region.
Gunmen seized the 14 workers at the start of the
month on a road between the towns of Omoku and
Elele, around 50 km (30 miles) from the city of Port
Harcourt , Rivers state.
The workers are employees of Nigerian oil
company Nestoil.
“We secured their release in batches. Five were
released yesterday while seven were released in
the early hours of today,” said Nnamdi Omoni ,
spokesman for police in Rivers state. The
remaining two had been released earlier.
“As a result of our pressure on the kidnappers our
men had a shootout with them but none of the
kidnappers was killed or arrested,” he said,
without giving further details. “No ransom was
paid.”