SITREP 16: 5 AMCITS, 2 INDIANS, 1 LEBANESE, 1

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 LAGOS 000367 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W, INR/AA, DS/IP/AF, DS/ICI/PII, DS/DSS/OSAC, CA/OCS/ACS/AF FOR MESARITI ZAGREB FOR AMBASSADOR BRADTKE WARSAW FOR LISA PIASCIK CIUDAD JUAREZ FOR DONNA BLAIR OSLO FOR HELENA SCHRADER 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: 05/22/2017 TAGS: ASEC CASC EPET KDEM NI PGOV PREL SUBJECT: SITREP 16: 5 AMCITS, 2 INDIANS, 1 LEBANESE, 1 BRITON CURRENTLY HOSTAGES REF: A. LAGOS 362 ¶B. LAGOS 322 LAGOS 00000367 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne for reasons 1.4 (B) and ( D) ¶1. (C) Summary: Six expatriates employed by Chevron, including American citizen John Stapleton, begin their twenty-second day in captivity. Bayelsa Secretary to the State Government Dr. Igali and Chevron suspect the hostages will be released by May 29. Four American citizens held captive in Delta State have not received the welfare package sent over a week ago; the kidnappers threatened to "cut off fingers" if GI did not negotiate. A Lebanese national was abducted in Warri, Delta on May 22. Two Indians were abducted from their residences in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on May 19. There has been no word on British national Jeff Treen kidnapped off the Bayelsa coast on May 4. A French-owned Total flow-station was attacked on May 21. End Summary. -------------- -------------- Bayelsa/Chevron: Supplies & "Logistics Costs" Paid -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) The Bayelsa State Government is continuing to press for the release of six Chevron employees, including American citizen John Stapleton, who were abducted on May 1. Chevron passed the State Security Service (SSS) water, soft drinks, food and naira 1 million (approximately USD 8,000) for sustenance of the hostages for delivery to the kidnappers. (Note: On May 22, Chevron reported between naira 1 and 4 million (USD 8-32,000),had been sent with the previous welfare packages to the camp. This may explain hostage-taker Victor Ebikabowei's comment that he had expected to receive at least naira 500,000 by May 20 and suggests that much of the previous "logistics payments" may have been diverted on their way to Ebikabowei. End Note.) The SSS emissary will request proof of life, such as letters for the hostages' families or photographs, when he delivers the next package. ¶3. (C) A brief conversation with Dr. Godknows Igali, Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government, gave Chevron the SIPDIS impression Igali expected the release to occur May 29. The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa told Chevron he was in touch with someone (whom Chevron suspected was Commander Joseph Farai, also known as Farah Dagogo) who said discussions between SSS and Victor Ebikabowei were going well and that the kidnappers realized that they should soon release the hostages. ¶4. (C) Chevron is planning the logistics for a simultaneous release of its six employees and Global Industries' four American employees held hostage in Bayelsa State. (Note: Global was under contract with Chevron when its four employees were kidnapped. End Note.) Following Igali's LAGOS 00000367 002.2 OF 003 comments, Chevron suspects the ten hostages may be released at the same time and place. (Ref A) -------------- - Delta/GI: Welfare Packages Not Received; Kidnappers Hound GI with Phone Calls & Threats -------------- - ¶5. (C) Four American Global Industries (GI) employees, Kevin Faller, Christopher Gay, Michael Rousell and Larry Plake, begin their fourteenth day in captivity after being kidnapped on May 8. The first welfare package GI passed to the SSS over a week ago had not yet been passed to the hostages. However, a Chevron employee told GI on May 22 that a military Major, presumably Delta State's emissary to the kidnappers, just recently received the welfare package. GI was preparing a second package which would contain letters from the hostages' families. ¶6. (C) Late on May 21, Global Industries responded to one of 28 calls from the kidnappers; GI's Houston office received two additional calls. The kidnappers threatened to amputate the hostages' fingers if GI did not negotiate with the abductors. SSS asked GI to stop answering these calls and said the hostages' families should as well. -------------- -------------- Lebanese Abducted in Warri; Possibly Criminal Attack -------------- -------------- ¶7. (U) On May 22 a Lebanese national working for Niger Cat, a construction company, was kidnapped en route to work. He was seized from his car by four gunmen in Warri, Delta State. Security sources suspect this was a criminal attack not perpetrated by any of the militant groups. -------------- Two Indians Abducted in Port Harcourt, Rivers -------------- ¶8. (U) Two Indian nationals employed by Eleme Petrochemical Company, which is majority owned by Indonesia's Indorama, were kidnapped from their residences in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on May 19. According to press reports, the militants attempted to abduct nine Indians, but Joint Military Task Force (JTF) were able to rescue seven of the nine intended victims. The kidnappers purportedly have made ransom demands but we do not know the details thereof. -------------- Briton Abducted May 4 Remains Hostage -------------- ¶9. (C) Security Coordinator for Control Risks Group (CRG), British national Jeff Treen, remains hostage after 48 LAGOS 00000367 003.2 OF 003 militants in four boats attacked Transocean's Trident 8 rig on May 4. Treen was abducted off the shore of Bayelsa State (Ref B). While there was no word on the Briton's status, Dr. Igali thought Treen would also be released by May 29. -------------- French TOTAL Facility Attacked -------------- ¶10. (U) On May 21, unidentified men, using "high explosives", purportedly attacked a Total onshore flow-station. News reports could not confirm the location of the attack or whether there were any casualties. BROWNE