Nigerian separatists not swayed by hostages’ pleas

An armed separatist group in southern Nigeria that is holding four foreign oil workers hostage said on Sunday that it will not be swayed by their pleas for release and indicted Italian oil firm Agip for allegedly attempting to pay a ransom.

“We have kept these hostages for more than two weeks now. Do you imagine they have not pleaded with us on their own? Why should we be swayed because their appeal is now printed on the pages of an Italian paper?” a spokesperson a for the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) said in an e-mail statement.

“Agip has tried and have been duped by several fraudsters who claim to be able to effect the release of the hostages. That will not happen and Agip should redirect these monies to the development of communities they have jointly raped for so many years,” added the Mend statement.

There is yet no formal Agip reaction to these allegations.

Mail & Guardian