SHELL LOGISTICS BASE IN BAYELSA STATE ATTACKED BY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 001272 SIPDIS SIPDIS DOE FOR GPERSON, CGAY TREASURY FOR ASEVERENS, SRENENDER, DFIELDS COMMERCE FOR KBURRESS STATE PASS USTR FOR ASST USTR SLISER STATE PASS TRANSPORTATION FOR MARAD STATE PASS OPIC FOR ZHAN AND MSTUCKART STATE PASS TDA FOR NCABOT STATE PASS EXIM FOR JRICHTER STATE PASS USAID FOR GWEYNAND AND SLAWAETZ E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2016 TAGS: EPET ENERG ASEC PTER CASC NI SUBJECT: SHELL LOGISTICS BASE IN BAYELSA STATE ATTACKED BY YOUTHS Classified By: Consul General Brian Browne for Reasons 1.4 (D,E) ¶1. (C) Summary: The seven expatriate employees of ExxonMobil contractors kidnapped October 3 remain hostages. On October 10, youths attacked a small naval facility and neighboring Shell logistics base in Bayelsa State; 10-20 Shell and Shell contractor employees, none of them Americans, are being held by the youths. End Summary. Seven Employees of ExxonMobil Contractors Remain Hostage -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) Seven expatriate employees of contractors for ExxonMobil kidnapped October 3 remain in captivity. Negotiations are ongoing. No American citizens are involved in the incident. Shell Logistics Base Attacked -------------- ¶3. (C) Early October 10, approximately forty-five youths in three speedboats attacked a Nigerian small naval outpost near the Nun River in Bayelsa State, disarming ten on-duty naval personnel and pilfering their uniforms. We have been unable to confirm whether the naval personnel are being held. The attack against the naval facility was apparently done to allow the assailants to perform their next act unhindered by possibility of any quick GON military response. Departing the naval station, the youths then traveled to the adjacent Shell field logistics base near Brass. Olav Lijosne, Regional External Affairs Manager for Shell Exploration and Production, (protect) said from 10-20 Shell employees and contractors' employees are being held captive in the facility; none of the hostages are Americans. ¶4. (C) Lijosne said, although there was shooting during the incident, he knew of no casualties or injuries. According to Lijosne, the Government of Bayelsa State is conducting the negotiations with the youths. The youths are demanding local community development that will generate employment, and an environmental project. Deaths from Vandalized Pipeline Reported -------------- ¶5. ThisDay newspaper reported on October 10 that six persons died trying to scoop petrol from a vandalized pipeline in Ogale-Eleme, Rivers State on October 7. Bodies of Slain Soldiers Recovered? -------------- ¶6. (C) The Tribune in an October 10 article reported that six corpses had been found floating in Bille Creek near the Cawthorne Channel, the location of a deadly gun battle on October 2 in which 14 Joint Task Force (JTF) personnel died. Military sources told MilAtt that 23 soldiers had been killed in the early October series of incidents. Military Fires on Journalist in Creeks -------------- ¶7. (C) On October 9, Patrick Naagabanton, a Nigerian journalist, told Pol/EconOff that military forces near Abonema creek in Rivers State shot at hiim. Neither Naagabanton nor any of his companions were injured. ¶8. (C) Comment: The October 10 takeover of the Shell facility near Brass appears to be the work of local youths seeking jobs and development for their home communities. Although not identified with any militant group, they are well armed and sufficiently knowledgeable about tactics and the local area to have carried out this two-pronged attack. LAGOS 00001272 002 OF 002 In doing so they exhibited the capability not only to plan, but execute a coordinated attack against a military unit and civilian compound. End Comment. BROWNE