NIGER DELTA ROUNDUP: HOSTAGES RELEASED, PORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000694 SIPDIS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - HANDLE ACCORDINGLY SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W, INR/AA, DS/IP/AF, DS/ICI/PII, DS/DSS/OSAC, CA/OCS/ACS/AF OSLO FOR HELENA SCHRADER 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: N/A TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL NI SUBJECT: NIGER DELTA ROUNDUP: HOSTAGES RELEASED, PORT HARCOURT POLITICS, CHILD KIDNAPPINGS REF: LAGOS 692 -------------- Three Expats, Four Nigerians Released -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Three expatriates (Russian, Croatian, and British nationals),and four Nigerian hostages were released around 17:00 on October 22, two days after having been kidnapped offshore Bayelsa State, according to Shell representatives (Reftel). Shell attributed the release to quick community and GON intervention. ¶2. (SBU) Shell representatives said militants attacked its security and accommodation vessels, but not the floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, located at the EA Field. Militants hijacked a 14-meter "Surfer 141" boat designed with deep water capability and a 40 passenger capacity. ¶3. (SBU) Chevron reported that at approximately 18:00 on October 20, 2 hours before militants attacked Shell's vessels offshore Bayelsa, militants in 3 boats boarded a security vessel off Delta State while navy personnel were asleep. The militants took the military's weapons but there were no injuries. -------------- Potential Mayhem Following Supreme Court Ruling on Rivers Governorship -------------- ¶4. (SBU) On October 25 the Supreme Court will hear and possibly rule on a case presented by the former Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, who is contesting the People's Democratic Party (PDP) decision to replace his name with sitting Governor Celestine Omehia's on the governorship ballot. (Note: It is widely believed in Rivers that Amaechi's name was replaced by Omehia's because the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had a substantial dossier on Amaechi, who is closely aligned with former Rivers Governor Peter Odili. End Note.) Security sources warned the city of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, could become tense following the Supreme Court's decision. ¶5. (SBU) However, a Port Harcourt-based contact did not predict immediate violence following the Supreme Court's announcement. Instead, he questioned what decision would be given. If the final decision results in the holding of new elections, one could expect violence from the Ikwerre riverine communities as they may feel they lost their shot at the governorship (both Omehia and Amaechi are Ikwerre). -------------- Port Harcourt Child Kidnappings Continue -------------- ¶6. (U) Three Nigerian children were recently kidnapped in separate instances in Port Harcourt. Two of the children's parents were employed by Total, one by Shell. Company representatives believe the kidnappings were criminal in nature as they targeted affluent Nigerian families en route to school. (Note: Child kidnappings in Port Harcourt became frequent in June, after Delta and Bayelsa-state based militants declared a ceasefire. End Note.) A child kidnapped LAGOS 00000694 002 OF 002 in early September was killed around October 15; the kidnappers demanded a ransom but this was never paid. HUTCHINSON