MULTIPLE ATTACKS ON AGIP FACILITIES; NINE POLICE

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 000091

SIPDIS

STATE PASS DOE FOR DAS JBRODMAN AND CGAY
TREASURY FOR ASEVERENS AND SRENENDER
COMMERCE FOR KBURRESS
STATE PASS TRANSPORTATION FOR MARAD
STATE PASS USAID FOR GWEYNAND AND SLAWAETZ
STATE FOR DS/IP/AF, AF/EX, DS/IP/OPO, DS/ICI/PII, DS/DSS/ITA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/20/2015
TAGS: EPET PGOV ASEC PTER KHLS PINR ETRD CASC NI
SUBJECT: MULTIPLE ATTACKS ON AGIP FACILITIES; NINE POLICE
DEAD

REF: A. LAGOS 90 AND PREVIOUS

B. ABUJA 120

C. 2005 LAGOS 1477

Classified By: Acting Consul General William Howe for Reasons 1.4 (D &
E)


1. (U) Late afternoon on January 24, Agip's Port Harcourt
headquarters was attacked and a bank on the premises was
robbed. Eyewitnesses described the attackers as 30 youths
dressed as police, traveling in speedboats, who immediately
began a firefight with police. Nine policemen and 2
civilians were killed in the crossfire, and the attackers
cleaned out the bank.


2. (SBU) In the morning of January 23, youths attacked an
AGIP flowstation in Obama, Bayelsa State. A company security
official confirmed that the control room was ransacked,
portable radios and other equipment stolen, and one employee
"roughed up." Press reports one casualty in the incident.


3. (U) Unconfirmed reports on January 24 also indicate
massive Ijaw protests in the Borokiri area of Port Harcourt,
near the naval base, as well as a clash between soldiers and
youths in the Okorama area of Bayelsa state.


4. (C) Comment: While it is possible the attacks on AGIP
are related to the threats made by the kidnappers of four
Shell expatriate contractors to carry out additional attacks
on oil installations (ref A),there is currently no evidence
for this. Militant groups in the Delta region have often
taken advantage of a general breakdown in order and stability
to replenish cash needed for operations, such as the
September 2005 attack on a bank located at the Wilbros oil
service company compound at Choba (ref C). Shell and AGIP
also operate in many adjoining areas; when Shell is attacked,
AGIP is next in line. However, the large scale of the
January 24 attack could possibly suggest similarities to the
initial attack on the Sea Eagle and subsequent kidnappings.
Regardless of any formal connection between the perpetrators
of these attacks, the prolonged abduction of the four Shell
contractors appears to have emboldened local youths in their
attacks on oil company facilities. End Comment.






HOWE