SITREP 11: HOSTAGES REMAIN CAPTIVE; FILIPINO FOUND

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 000094 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W, INR/AA, DS/IP/AF, DS/ICI/PII, DS/DSS/OSAC WARSAW FOR LISA PIASCIK CIUDAD JUAREZ FOR DONNA BLAIR ISTANBUL FOR TASHAWNA SMITH SAO PAULO FOR ANDREW WITHERSPOON DOE FOR GPERSON, CGAY 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: 02/08/2017 TAGS: ASEC CASC EPET KDEM NI PGOV PREL SUBJECT: SITREP 11: HOSTAGES REMAIN CAPTIVE; FILIPINO FOUND DEAD, FRENCHMAN ABDUCTED REF: LAGOS 91 Classified By: Consul Alan Latimer for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) Summary. John Walker of Control Risks Group told the Pivot-GIS Hostage Crisis Group on February 8 American citizen Bill Graham and Nigerian national Ezekiel Akwa remain in captivity. Security contacts confirmed to Regional Security Officer (RSO) a Filipino woman abducted on February 7 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was found dead February 8. A French national contracted to Total was abducted by armed men in Port Harcourt on February 7. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Alhaji Kola Adeshina, Director of Rivers State Security Service (SSS),told John Walker of Control Risks Group on February 7 the ransom for American citizen Bill Graham and Nigerian national Ezekiel Akwa cannot be prepared until Governor Peter Odili returns from Abuja. Adeshina then announced he would be traveling to Lagos on February 8. Walker told the daily Hostage Crisis Group he believes Odili and Adeshina's absence is the only factor preventing Graham and Akwa's release. ¶3. (C) A reliable security contact told RSO a Filipino woman abducted in Port Harcourt on February 7 was found dead on February 8. Mrs. Bes Ruffan, who was married to an Iranian man, was purportedly on her way to deposit USD 10,000 in a local bank when she was kidnapped. ¶4. (C) Also on February 7, armed men abducted French national Gerard Laporal in Port Harcourt when he was returning home around 9 PM, a Total representative confirmed. According to security sources, Laporal lives near Aker base but not on Total's compound. Laporal has been a contractor with Total for over 10 years and is married to a Nigerian woman. BROWNE