SITREP 13: NO CHANGE TO HOSTAGE CASE; OIL MAJOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000105 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W, INR/AA, DS/IP/AF, DS/ICI/PII, DS/DSS/OSAC WARSAW FOR LISA PIASCIK CIUDAD JUAREZ FOR DONNA BLAIR ISTANBUL FOR TASHAWNA SMITH SAO PAULO FOR ANDREW WITHERSPOON DOE FOR GPERSON, CGAY TREASURY FOR ASEVERENS, SRENENDER, DFIELDS COMMERCE FOR KBURRESS STATE PASS USTR FOR ASST USTR FLISER 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: 02/12/2017 TAGS: ASEC CASC EPET KDEM NI PGOV PREL SUBJECT: SITREP 13: NO CHANGE TO HOSTAGE CASE; OIL MAJOR SECURES EXPATS REF: LAGOS 100 LAGOS 00000105 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne for reasons 1.4 (B) and ( D) ¶1. (C) Summary. There has been no contact with Amcit Bill Graham or Nigerian national Ezekiel Akwa or their captors since the release of British national Neil Mirrlees on February 7. A recent spate of incidents in Port Harcourt caused Shell to encourage expatriate staff to work from their residences throughout the week. Post was unable to confirm the reported February 8-9 seizure by militants of a vessel carrying weapons bound for a Nigerian military installation. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Legatt attended the Monday, February 12 Pivot-GIS Hostage Crisis Group. No contact with American citizen Bill Graham and Nigerian national Ezekiel Akwa or their captors took place during the weekend. ¶3. (C) The Lonestar rig, operated by a Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) subcontractor, evacuated expatriate staff to Port Harcourt following reports of a planned attack. According to Olav Lijosne of Shell's External Relations Department, Shell received information that militants had talked threateningly about the rig but the facility was not actually attacked. In the wake of a spate of incidents, including a bank robbery, in the City of Port Harcourt, Shell has encouraged expatriate staff to work from their homes this week. Lijosne stressed that the move does not impact ongoing operations in the short term, but lowers the company's security profile. Critical employees whether in the field or the city remain on duty, he said. ¶4. (C) Defense Attach received a report that militants intercepted a vessel transporting a shipment of arms destined for delivery to the Nigerian military on February 8 or 9. The report has not been corroborated by Government of Nigeria (GON) sources. ¶5. (C) There were also reports of imminent attack by the militant group led by Tom Polo against installations and perhaps Joint Task Force (JTF) positions around Warri. However, Chevron officials report all was quiet in Warri over the weekend. ¶6. (Comment: During the past few days we have received numerous rumors of planned militant activity in the near future. The rumors state militants will soon target both expatriate workers and oil installations. Thus far, the unconfirmed reports are just that. The oil companies have not significantly changed their security posture, although they might have tightened local travel restrictions on employees still in the Delta. Rumors and reports will be numerous and it will be a challenge to separate fact from fiction. We will do the best we can to keep the Department apprised of the genuine threats and of the posture of the oil companies. We will also continue to warn the oil companies to be vigilant and to inculcate best security practice in their employees. In this vein, we may soon ask Washington's clearance of a warden message reminding American citizens to LAGOS 00000105 002.2 OF 002 exercise caution in light of the reported militant statement threatening expatriate workers of oil installations. BROWNE