SITREP 15: NO SSS CONTACT WITH AMCIT; FILIPINO

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 000116 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: 02/14/2017 TAGS: ASEC CASC EPET KDEM NI PGOV PREL SUBJECT: SITREP 15: NO SSS CONTACT WITH AMCIT; FILIPINO HOSTAGES RELEASE CONFIRMED REF: A. LAGOS 110 ¶B. LAGOS 87 Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne for reasons 1.4 (B) and ( D) ¶1. (C) John Walker of Control Risks Group told the February 14 Pivot-GIS Hostage Crisis Group that he was unable to speak to Rivers State Security Service (SSS) on February 13. Walker speculated SSS may have been working on the February 13 release of 24 Filipino hostages. American citizen Bill Graham and Nigerian national Ezekiel Akwa remain hostages. No proof of life has been given for either hostage since British national Neil Mirrlees's release on February 7. ¶2. (C) Pivot employee Wole Osinupebi told the Pivot-GIS Hostage Group that Graham's wife was frustrated by the lack of progress in his release and threatened on February 13 to speak critically of Pivot, her husband's employer, to the press. Walker was able to calm her, reminding her the militants, not the company, were responsible for this ordeal and the company, along with the government, was working on his release. ¶3. (C) Consul General of the Philippines confirmed to Poloff the February 13 release of 24 Filipinos held hostage for 24 days. The Consul General said the hostages were released in Warri, Delta State and will most likely travel by bus to Abuja. They will depart for the Philippines on February 17. The Consul General said there are approximately 2,800 Filipinos still working in the Niger Delta. ¶4. (C) We have heard unconfirmed reports that ransom demands made by the kidnappers of Graham and Akwa may have been leaked to the public and perhaps the press. This would put GON negotiations in an awkward position for it would lend credence to the impression the GON was susceptible to ransom--which would mean the GON was acting contrary to its own stated policy. SSS previously has warned that any leak of this ransom information could result in the arrest of Pivot employee Wole Osinupebi, who they suspect as being the most probable author of any such disclosure. (Ref B) BROWNE