Oil companies on alert in Nigeria after threat

LAGOS (Reuters) – Western oil companies reinforced security in Nigeria on Monday after a rebel group threatened to resume attacks on Africa’s largest oil industry, but security sources played down the risk of a major disruption.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) threatened fresh attacks on oil facilities and abductions of foreign workers, a move that would end a four-month ceasefire, after factional leader Henry Okah was arrested in Angola on arms trafficking charges on September 3.
“Everyone is on a heightened state of alert, but my folks tell me he (Okah) has no foot soldiers to stage large-scale attacks,” a security consultant with a Western oil company said, asking not to be named.

More likely would be a dynamite attack that could be staged by one or two people, he added.

MEND bombed oil facilities and abducted dozens of foreign workers from late 2005 to May this year, when President Umaru Yar’Adua took office promising to solve the crisis.

But the group, which says it is fighting against decades of neglect and marginalisation of Nigeria’s oil heartland, has mostly observed a ceasefire since May to allow for talks with the government.

Other armed factions in MEND have joined the peace talks and are now discussing pre-conditions for a formal summit, such as amnesty for rebel leaders and demilitarisation.

Since last year dozens of troops, militants and civilians have been killed, thousands of foreign workers have left and oil output from the world’s eighth largest exporter has been cut by a fifth, raising world prices.

Reuters