SITREP 23: 4 AMCITS RELEASED MAY 30, 4 REMAIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 000403 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: 05/31/2017 TAGS: ASEC CASC EPET KDEM NI PGOV PREL SUBJECT: SITREP 23: 4 AMCITS RELEASED MAY 30, 4 REMAIN HOSTAGES REF: LAGOS 399 Classified By: Consul Alan B. C. Latimer for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) Summary: Four American citizens, Kevin Faller, Christopher Gay, Michael Rousell and Larry Plake, employed by Global Industries (GI) and taken hostage on May 8, offshore Delta State, were released on May 30. Three American citizens employed by TransCoastal and seven other individuals begin their sixth day as hostages in Bayelsa. Six Chevron employees, including American citizen John Stapleton, remain hostages in Bayelsa State after being kidnapped May 1. End Summary. -------------- Delta/GI: 4 Amcits Remain Hostage -------------- ¶2. (C) American GI employees, Kevin Faller, Christopher Gay, Michael Rousell and Larry Plake, were released to the Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, in Warri, Delta State on May 30. GI representQves met the hostages, who spent 22 days in captivity, at the Government House, Warri annex. The Amcits are expected to arrive in Lagos on the morning of May 31, and depart Nigeria that evening on British Airways flight 74, arriving in London at 0555 on June 1. The four individuals will, at a minimum, overnight in London, where they will receive a medical exam at the University College London Hospital, which specializes in tropical diseases. After their exam, they will be given the option of staying in London a few days at the company,s expense, or depart for Houston where they will be met by their families. -------------- TransCoastal/Bayelsa: 3 Amcits Remain Hostage -------------- ¶3. (SBU) American citizens Bobbie Tyner, Shane McMorris, and Richard Moore, four British nationals, one South African, one Filipino, and one Nigerian remain hostages after being kidnapped on May 25. -------------- -------------- Bayelsa/Chevron: 1 Amcit, 5 Expatriates Remain Hostages; Chevron Said Negotiations Continue -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) American citizen John Stapleton, four Italians and one Croatian begin their thirty-first day as hostages. One of the Italian hostages left a message with his family on May 30, in which he said their release may be delayed by a few days. On May 31, Chevron representatives said negotiations were ongoing between Bayelsa State officials and the kidnappers. LATIMER