HOSTAGES ENTER THIRD WEEK IN CAPTIVITY; NO

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 001294 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: 10/06/2016 TAGS: EPET ENERG ASEC PTER CASC NI SUBJECT: HOSTAGES ENTER THIRD WEEK IN CAPTIVITY; NO AMERICANS INVOLVED REF: LAGOS 1279 Classified By: Consul General Brian Browne for Reasons 1.4 (B, D) ¶1. (C) Summary: The seven employees of ExxonMobil subcontractors captured in Akwa Ibom on October 3 began their third week in captivity. British and American diplomats are urging the state and federal authorities to allow humanitarian supplies to be delivered to the hostages before the long Eid-Al-Fitr weekend. There are no Americans involved. End summary. ¶2. (C) Seven employees of ExxonMobil contractors captured in Akwa Ibom on October 3 remain in captivity. Negotiations continue between the Federal Government's negotiator, a senior officer with the Special Security Services (SSS) and the kidnappers, who are presumably locals from the Eket area. However, talks have thus far been desultory. The ExxonMobil coordinating group, composed of representatives of ExxonMobil and its contractors, in its October 17 daily meeting asked us and the British to urge the Federal Government and Akwa Ibom Governor Victor Attah to persuade the kidnappers to allow the delivery of humanitarian supplies to the hostages. The group discussed the importance of pushing for delivery of the supplies in advance of the four-day weekend that includes the Eid-Al-Fitr holiday on October 23-24. ¶3. (C) Efforts are ongoing to have only one channel of communication between the kidnappers and the Government. The ExxonMobil coordinating group has provided family members with the cellphone numbers used by the kidnappers, and urged them not to take calls from those numbers. Nonetheless, calls from the kidnappers or the hostages to family members have taken place. One spouse who has not yet received a call or other information about her husband has asked the coordinating group to attempt to obtain recent proof of her husband's life. ¶4. (C) Comment: Concern is rising about the welfare of the hostages. Although there are no U.S. hostages involved in this incident, Lagos Consul General will join the diplomatic effort to urge swift government action on humanitarian supplies. BROWNE