Nigerian militants abduct Koreans in gas plant raid

Armed militants kidnapped five Koreans and killed several soldiers in an attack on a small natural gas plant in Nigeria’s southern delta on Wednesday, authorities said.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) claimed responsibility and said the Koreans would be freed in exchange for a jailed militia leader who is on trial for treason and was denied bail by a Nigerian court on Tuesday.

MEND, whose leadership is unknown, is pressing for more local power over the Niger Delta’s oil resources and has said it aims to bring the OPEC nation’s exports to a complete halt.

Yahoo!