Britain tells nationals to leave Nigerian oil delta

Britain on Friday advised all its nationals to leave three states at the heart of Nigeria’s southern Niger Delta, Africa’s top oil-producing region, where violence against foreigners has become commonplace.

The advice came as the Supreme Court refused bail for a former militia leader whose detention has fuelled the unrest, raising pressure on newly inaugurated President Umaru Yar’Adua to address the causes of a crisis which has crippled exports.