SITREP 22: MEND ATTACKS KIDNAPPERS; 8 AMCITS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000399 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: 05/30/2017 TAGS: ASEC CASC EPET KDEM NI PGOV PREL SUBJECT: SITREP 22: MEND ATTACKS KIDNAPPERS; 8 AMCITS REMAIN HOSTAGES REF:A. LAGOS 395 ¶B. LAGOS 394 ¶C. LAGOS 362 ¶D. LAGOS 124 ¶E. LAGOS 389 LAGOS 00000399 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Consul Alan B. C. Latimer for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) Summary: Global Industries (GI) believes its four American employees are now under militant leader Tom Polo's custody and there could be a May 30 release. Three American citizens kidnapped off the shore of Bayelsa State on May 25 remain hostage but are well, Amcit Shane McMorris said on May ¶28. Chevron believes negotiations for the release of its six kidnapped employees, including American citizen John Stapleton, are ongoing although the hostages will not be released on May 30 as previously anticipated. End Summary. -------------- - Press Reports MEND Attack on Egbema Kidnappers -------------- - ¶2. (SBU) Nigeria's Vanguard newspaper reported the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) abducted five militant members of the Niger Delta Freedom Fighters (NDFF), also known as Egbema I, in Bayelsa State on May 27. The press reported MEND abducted these individuals to secure the release of the four American citizens (Faller, Gay, Rousell and Plake) kidnapped by Egbema I on May 25. The press also reported that MEND acted to reclaim the Niger Delta struggle from the NDFF which was demanding a ransom for the expatriate hostages. ¶3. (C) GI and Chevron both believe militant leader Tom Polo, based in Warri, now has custody of the GI hostages. Polo was the leader of the Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities (FNDIC),from which Bayelsa and other militants broke off. Polo had discussed taking control of the four GI hostages as well as Chevron's six expatriate hostages (Ref C) as a way to assert his dominance. It is not clear if Tom Polo referred to the name MEND or the newspaper used that name. ¶4. (C) According to the State Security Service (SSS), militant leader Prince Igodo based in Rivers State, who was known to have abducted expatriates, was killed in a clash with a rival gang (Ref D). There is no indication Igodo's death was connected to the attack on the NDFF. -------------- Delta/GI: 4 Amcits Remain Hostage -------------- ¶5. (C) Four American GI employees, Kevin Faller, Christopher Gay, Michael Rousell and Larry Plake, kidnapped May 8, remain hostages. The Chevron crisis group reported the Delta State LAGOS 00000399 002.2 OF 002 government has chosen George Timimi as an intermediary for securing the hostages' release. GI has therefore stopped passing welfare packages and is prepared for a May 30 release in Warri, Delta State (Ref E). -------------- TransCoastal/Bayelsa: 3 Amcits Remain Hostage -------------- ¶6. (C) Ten TransCoastal (TCO) employees remain hostage in Bayelsa State, including American citizens Bobbie Tyner, Shane McMorris, and Richard Moore, four British nationals, one South African, one Filipino, and one Nigerian. These 10 individuals were kidnapped near Sangana, offshore Bayelsa State on May 25. TransCoastal has decided to use Alaye Eremie, who purportedly worked with Bayelsa State on previous hostage incidents, to liaise with the kidnappers. Eremie thought Joshua McGuyver, Commander Africa (also known as Victor Ebikabowei),and the Boloof Camp were behind this kidnapping. TCO representatives spoke to McMorris on May 28 after Eremii established contact with the kidnappers. McMorris advised "they were being taken care of, that no one was sick, and that everyone was ok." ¶7. (C) Based on the location of the kidnapping and the timing of certain telephone calls, we believe British national Jeff Treen may have been kidnapped by Victor Ebikabowei, the militant who kidnapped the TransCoastal employees, and is likely being held at the same camp. -------------- -------------- Bayelsa/Chevron: 1 Amcit, 5 Expatriates Remain Hostages; Chevron Does Not Expect May 30 Release -------------- -------------- ¶8. (C) On May 30, American citizen John Stapleton, four Italians, and one Croatian remain hostages after being kidnapped May 1 off the shore of Bayelsa State. Chevron has not received any updates on its six employees being held hostage. An Italian diplomat received a call from an unidentified source who said negotiations were ongoing and that the hostages would not be released on May 30. BROWNE