EXPATS REMAIN CAPTIVE, NIGERIAN HOSTAGES RELEASED

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 001458 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: 12/29/2016 TAGS: EPET ENERG ASEC PTER NI SUBJECT: EXPATS REMAIN CAPTIVE, NIGERIAN HOSTAGES RELEASED REF: A. LAGOS 1427 B. LAGOS 1447 Classified By: Consul Alan Latimer for Reasons 1.4 (B,D) ¶1. (C) Summary: Four expatriate Agip employees taken hostage December 7 in Bayelsa State near Agip's Brass tank farm remain in captivity. Shell confirmed the December 24 release of four Nigerian employees seized from a Nun River facility December 14. Agip employees taken hostage in a second incident on December 21 at the company's Tebidaba flow station were released on December 26. No Americans were involved in these incidents. End Summary. AGIP: FOUR EXPATS REMAIN CAPTIVE -------------- ¶2. (C) Four expatriate workers, three Italian and one Lebanese, taken hostage on December 7 from a residential facility near Agip's Brass tank farm remain in captivity as of midnight December 28, according to Akin Aruwajoye, Agip's Managing Director. Agip's President spoke with President Obasanjo to urge continued negotiations and received assurances that force would not be used in obtaining the captives' release, according to Fidelis Anju, Agip's General Manager for Public Affairs. SHELL: REMAINING NUN RIVER HOSTAGES RELEASED -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Three security guards and a contractor seized from Shell's Nun River facility on December 14 were released December 24, after negotiations by the Bayelsa State Government, according to Olav Lijosne, Regional External Affairs Manager for Shell. AGIP: TEBIDABA FLOW STATION SEIGE ENDED -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Hostages being held at Agip's Tebidaba flow station following a December 21 attack were released December 26, Anju confirmed. The siege ended as a result of negotiations by the Bayelsa State Government. Anju said damage to the flow station is being assessed prior to re-opening the station. ¶5. (C) Four persons claiming to have escaped from the Tebidaba flow station may be local guards who escaped just before the siege ended, but are not Agip employees, Aruwajoye told Pol/Econ Chief December 29. (Note: International and Nigerian press alike have reported on the escape, presenting conflicting details. End Note.) ¶6. (U) No American citizens were involved in these incidents. BROWNE