US embassy cable - 03ABUJA1148

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001148 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EPET, ASEC, PINS, PGOV, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA:  HOSTAGE-TAKING IN THE DELTA 
 
1.(SBU) SUMMARY: Three third-country nationals employed by a 
U.S. oil servicing firm were kidnapped June 23 by an Ijaw 
criminal group in the swamps of Delta State.  Shell is 
managing the crisis and claims it will not accede to  demands 
of a ransom.  Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports indicate the 
military is attempting a rescue.  End Summary. 
 
 
2.(SBU)  Anglo-Dutch Shell and Ft. Lauderdale-based Seabulk 
International confirmed press reports of the June 23 
kidnapping of three expatriate staff on a Seabulk boat near 
the Warri Southwest local government area (LGA).  The boat, 
one of 24 vessels deployed in the Niger Delta by Seabulk, was 
fulfilling a contract by Panama-based Willbros for Shell's 
production and drilling platforms on the Yokri field in 
Forcados.  The boat, manned by 12 expatriates (none 
American), was confronted by 45 armed "pirates," according to 
officials of both companies.  Reportedly the bandits were 
from neighboring (to the east) LGAs of Borutu and Bomadi. 
The German captain and two Filipino crew members were taken 
by the pirates and are apparently being held in the creeks of 
Borutu or Bomadi. 
 
 
3.(SBU) Shell, the operator of the platform and an oil 
company experienced in dealing with Niger hostage-takings, is 
trying to resolve the incident with the consent of Seabulk 
and Willbros, according to Seabulk's Port Harcourt-based 
Operations Officer Tomasz Maczka.  In a June 30 conversation 
with Embassy's Corporate Responsibility Officer (CRO), Maczka 
explained that Shell established an Emergency Response Team 
(ERT) at its Warri Zonal Headquarters.  Shortly after the 
hostage-taking, Shell received a letter  demanding an 
immediate payment of 400,000 naira (approximately USD 3,000) 
for food for the hostages and a ransom of 25 million naira 
(approximately USD 200,000).  According to Maczka, Shell also 
received photos of the hostages and passed these on to the 
Seabulk General Manager, Roy Donaldson, who has moved to 
Shell's Warri zonal headquarters. 
 
 
4.(SBU)  Maczka expressed unhappiness with Shell's decision 
to release a June 26 public statement giving details of the 
kidnapping, enunciating Shell's policy of not paying ransom 
to criminals, and appealing to the Nigerian government to 
resolve the crisis.  He claimed that Shell did not consult 
Seabulk or Willbros on the statement.  Maczka also drew a 
connection between this publicity and June 30 press reports 
that the Nigerian Army and Navy have deployed troops to 
Borutu and Bomadi LGAs in an attempt to rescue the hostages 
-- a move not welcomed by the Seabulk official. 
 
 
5.(SBU) According to Shell's Director for External Relations, 
Precious Omoku, Shell took the lead in this situation to 
ensure that the two service contractors (Willbros and 
Seabulk) did not pay ransom for the three expatriates.  He 
confirmed that Shell was in contact with the hostage-takers 
and was preparing through them food and medicine for the 
hostages.  He claimed the Commander of the Army's 7th 
Battalion in Warri has refuted the June 30 press report of a 
military rescue operation.  Omoku further disclosed that the 
chief of Shell's ERT was apparently shot at his residence the 
night of June 28; cause of the shooting or identity of any 
assailant is unknown.  To be safe, Shell has appointed a new 
ERT chief. 
 
 
6. (SBU) CRO on June 30 contacted Bello Oboko, President of 
the Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities (FNDIC) -- the 
group of armed Ijaw youth responsible for the ongoing 
security crisis in the three Warri LGAs.  Oboko claimed he 
was aware of the kidnapping but vowed his "boys" were not 
responsible.  He attributed this act to Ijaw "pirates" 
outside of FNDIC's area of operations.  Oboko expressed 
annoyance with this action at a time when FNDIC is attempting 
to guarantee the operational safety of oil company personnel 
and facilities in order to resume production in the creeks of 
Warri (to be reported septel).  The leader of the Warri 
militants stated that he would find out who committed the 
kidnappings and attempt to secure the hostages' release. 
 
 
7.(SBU) Ijaw leader Chief Edwin K. Clark told CRO July 1 that 
he will soon host, at his Uhwelli residence, a meeting with 
the Ijaw leaders of the Borutu and Bomadi villages in which 
the hostage-taking "pirates" operate.  Disclosing that he 
knows the boys behind the kidnapping, Clark said that he 
opposed their "criminal behavior" and he would use this 
meeting to pressure the communities to give up the hostages 
and exert greater control over the criminal elements in their 
ranks. 
 
 
8.(SBU) Comment:  Although the hostages are not AMCITS, this 
new incident involves two U.S. companies with substantial 
investments in the Niger Delta.   The companies' decision to 
allow Shell to take the lead is probably wise and hopefully 
will lead to an outcome with no casualties or injuries. 
However, we are concerned about the possibility of an 
attempted military rescue effort.  The military lacks the 
discipline and skills necessary to conduct a surgical rescue 
in the harsh environment of the Delta.  The wild card in this 
crisis is the FNDIC Ijaw militants, who may take on the 
unusual role of rescuers as they seek to promote an image of 
peace-makers and protectors. 
JETER