FIVE EUROPEAN HOSTAGES AND ONE FILIPINO RELEASED;

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000198 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, CAROLYN GAY 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: 03/15/2017 TAGS: ASEC CASC EPET KDEM NI PGOV PREL SUBJECT: FIVE EUROPEAN HOSTAGES AND ONE FILIPINO RELEASED; ONE EXPAT HOSTAGE REMAINS REF: A. LAGOS 100 ¶B. LAGOS 94 LAGOS 00000198 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne for reasons 1.4 (B) and ( D) ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Two Italian Agip employees held hostage since December 7 were released March 14; two Croatians and one Montenegrin working for oil service company Hydrodrive International were released March 12 after 22 days in captivity; and a Filipino Shell employee abducted February 6 was released March 9. One French national and three Nigerians remain hostages. End Summary. -------------- Two Italians Released After 98 Days Captive -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The two remaining Italian Agip employees taken hostage in Bayelsa State on December 7 were released March 14, after 98 days captive, Akin Aruwajoye, Deputy Managing Director of Agip confirmed to Poloff March 15. According to media reports, the kidnappers claimed the hostages were to be kept until President Obasanjo stepped down in May, but that pleas from "certain quarters" led to the hostages' premature release. Also, a statement purportedly given by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) claimed more hostages would be taken from "secure" locations to "dispel the false sense of security...in the oil industry and foreign industry watchers." -------------- - Two Croatians, One Montenegrin Released by JTF -------------- - ¶3. (SBU) On March 12, two Croatians and one Montenegrin employed by Hydrodrive International, an offshore oil service company, kidnapped February 18, were released from captivity. The hostages were kidnapped from a bar in Port Harcourt the day after American citizen Bill Graham was released from captivity. Media reports claim the military Joint Task Force (JTF) rescued the hostages from the kidnappers' hideout in Ogbakiri, Emuohua Local Government Area of Rivers State. ¶4. (C) However, Defense Attache sources do not believe this signals a change in strategy by the GON. According to these sources, the military Joint Task Force (JTF) had been engaged in a crackdown on this particular faction of the Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force (NDPVF). This faction was believed to be responsible for the January 23 kidnapping of American citizen Billy Graham, British national Neil Mirrlees, as well as the two Croatians and Montenegrin. The State Security Service (SSS) and JTF reportedly detained 10-15 faction members over the past few weeks which further weakened this already small sub-group and basically frightened away members still at large. Reportedly, there were no militants in the area when the hostages were recovered. ¶5. (C) Comment: For now, this episode seems to represent opportunism more than a conscious change in GON policy. Compared to other militant activity, this faction of the LAGOS 00000198 002.2 OF 002 NDPVF represented weak, low lying fruit ripe for the taking, and with little chance of blowback. However, not all militant groups will wilt so easily at the first sign of GON pressure. Nonetheless, this does represent an infrequent victory for the GON in its battles with the militants. The operative question now is whether this minor victory will embolden the JTF to be more aggressive against more formidable foes or will it remain content with tackling the weaker groups when the opportunities present themselves. End Comment. ¶6. (C) Also on March 12, armed men boarded a boat belonging to Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) near Bonny, Rivers State, according to security sources. The men were reportedly looking for expatriates, and when they discovered none aboard, they took the passengers' valuables and the mobile police escorts' weapons. Two police escorts were told to stand at the bow of the boat and were gunned down by the militants as they departed on their own boat. Both police escorts died in the incident. -------------- Filipino Released After 31 Days Captive -------------- ¶7. (C) Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Filipino employee, Winston Halera, who was kidnapped on his way to the Owerri airport on February 6, was released March 9, SPDC's Olav Ljosne told Poloff on March 15. Halera has returned to the Philippines after receiving medical treatment in Port Harcourt. Ljosne said Halera was physically unharmed. While media reports suggest JTF in Rivers State negotiated Halera's release, Ljosne said this was the work of the State Security Service. -------------- One Frenchman, Three Nigerians Remain Hostage -------------- ¶8. (C) According to security sources attending the March 13 Delta Working Group, French Total employee Gerard Laporal, taken February 7, and three Nigerian nationals remain hostages. (Ref A) -------------- "Murdered" Filipina Alive and Well -------------- ¶9. (U) According to security sources, a Filipino woman who was reportedly kidnapped and killed February 7 while carrying USD 10,000, may have been involved in embezzlement. According to Lufthansa's passenger manifests, the woman departed Nigeria for the Philippines February 10. (Ref B) BROWNE