NIGERIA: AMCIT ABDUCTED FROM TIDEWATER SHIP, BONGA

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001184 SIPDIS STATE FOR OPERATIONS CENTER, CA/OCS, AF/W, INR/AA DOE FOR GEORGE PERSON E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/20/2018 TAGS: CASC EPET ASEC PREL NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: AMCIT ABDUCTED FROM TIDEWATER SHIP, BONGA PLATFORM ATTACKED Classified By: Ambassador Robin Sanders for reasons 1.4. (b & d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Over night June 18 ) June 19, two attacks happened in the southern area of Nigeria, at the Bonga Oil platform off the shore of Lagos and in the Niger Delta area near Escravos, where one Amcit is confirmed to have been taken hostage. Both Embassy Abuja and Consulate Lagos are engaged with all contacts in security and in government on the status and welfare of the abducted American citizen. We have heard unconfirmed reports during the afternoon of June 19 that the Amcit hostage may be released soon. We will continue to follow up and report any new developments. End Summary. Bonga oil platform attack -------------- ¶2. (C) The regional Executive Vice President of Shell, Ann Pickard, told acting Consul General Hudson that around 3:00 am on June 19 three boats attacked their Bonga offshore facility. Each boat reportedly had approximately ten armed men. Pickard stated that the Bonga facility locked down and shut in production. The oil nameplate capacity of the rig is more than 200,000 barrels per day. The three boats left the facility and headed back to shore, where Pickard understands they attacked another company,s boat and took a hostage. (Note: We do not yet know the nationality of this hostage, but we have been told he is not/not an Amcit.) Tidewater Vessel: Amcit Kidnapped -------------- ¶3. (C) In a second incident, a U.S. flagged, U.S. operated vessel owned by U.S. company Tidewater was also attacked and one Amcit is confirmed to have been taken hostage in the incident. Tidewater's Senior Vice President Reg McNee called RSO Lagos June 19 to report that an American was kidnapped 27 miles offshore at approximately 5:45 am. A Tidewater vessel was heading toward Onne Port carrying, among others, two expatriates, one American and one Bangladeshi. Twenty-seven nautical miles offshore, they were intercepted by three speedboats carrying approximately fifteen armed individuals, who kidnapped the American employee. The vessel was under a U.S. flag and contracted to Chevron at the time. Chevron has begun negotiations through intermediaries with the alleged kidnappers. Tidewater is a U.S. oil services company. ¶4. (C) At mid-afternoon June 19, post received information through our Regional Affairs Office (RAO) contacts with the Nigeria's State Security Services (SSS) that the "militant" group that captured the Tidewater vessel and kidnapped the American citizen is known to the SSS and that the GON and other entities are in contact with the abductors. RAO is being told that the Amcit hostage should be released "sometime soon." RSO sources also reported mid-afternoon June 19 that the kidnapped American may have already been released, but this information has not yet been confirmed. ¶5. (C) Though the Associated Press has reported on the Bonga attack and the kidnapping, both Tidewater and Chevron are keeping the kidnapping of the Amcit confidential for the time being. We are engaging our contacts at all levels. We will continue to closely follow this incident and report any new developments. SANDERS