SITREP 21: 8 AMCITS REMAIN HOSTAGES, GON RECEIVED

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000395 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: 05/28/2017 TAGS: ASEC CASC EPET KDEM NI PGOV PREL SUBJECT: SITREP 21: 8 AMCITS REMAIN HOSTAGES, GON RECEIVED NO OVERTURES OR HOSTAGE DEATH THREATS REF: A. LAGOS 394 ¶B. LAGOS 362 LAGOS 00000395 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Consul Alan B. C. Latimer for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) Summary: According to the Minister of Information, the GON had not received any ultimatum to release jailed militant leader Dokubo Asari or risk the death of seven expatriates, including three American hostages, as reported in the press on May 27 (Ref A). On the eve of the May 29 inauguration in which Bayelsa State Governor Goodluck Jonathan would become the Vice President of Nigeria, eight American citizens remain hostages throughout the Niger Delta. Three Americans employed by TransCoastal and kidnapped with seven other individuals off the shore of Bayelsa State on May 25 remain hostages. Four American Global Industries (GI) employees kidnapped May 8 off the shore of Delta State also remain hostages. American citizen John Stapleton, four Italian nationals, and one Croatian begin their twenty-eighth day in captivity after being kidnapped May 1 off the shore of Bayelsa State. End Summary. -------------- GON Received No Ultimatum for Asari's Release Or Hostages' Death As Reported May 27 -------------- ¶2. (C) The Minister of Information (protect) told the Public Affairs Section in Abuja that the Federal Government had not been contacted by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND),or any other source, regarding the May 27 ultimatum to release jailed militant leader Dokubo Asari or risk the death of three Americans and four British hostages (Ref A). This threat was published in two Nigerian newspapers, the Daily Independent and the New Nigerian, on May 27. The Minister suggested a renegade gang of bandits may have used this article in an attempt to extract a ransom. We have not found any information or contacts able to substantiate this article. -------------- TransCoastal/Bayelsa: Amcits Remain Hostages -------------- ¶3. (SBU) American citizens Bobbie Tyner, Shane McMorris, and Richard Moore, as well as four British nationals, remain hostages after being kidnapped May 25 off the shore of Bayelsa State. TransCoastal representatives have not yet confirmed whether the Filipino, South African and Nigerian hostages were released as reported on May 27 (Ref A). TransCoastal will provide a situation update on May 29. -------------- Delta/GI: 4 Amcits Remain Hostages -------------- LAGOS 00000395 002.2 OF 002 ¶4. (C) Four American Global Industries (GI) employees, Kevin Faller, Christopher Gay, Michael Rousell and Larry Plake, begin their twentieth day as hostages. GI may issue a plea for their release in the news media if its four employees remain captives after the May 29 inauguration. -------------- -------------- Bayelsa/Chevron: 1 Amcit, 5 Expatriates Remain Hostages; Chevron Expects May 30 Release -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) On May 28, American citizen John Stapleton, four Italians, and one Croatian begin their twenty-eighth day as hostages. According to Chevron, the Governor of Bayelsa has taken the lead in this case over Dr. Godknows Igali, Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government. Two separate SIPDIS sources told Chevron that its six expatriate employees would likely be released on May 30. (Note: It was not mentioned whether the four American Global Industries (GI) employees would also be released May 30, despite rumors that the two groups may be released simultaneously (Ref B). End Note.) BROWNE