Expat
Village is edited and published by Iain Williams in Caracas, Venezuela.
A Reuters story by Tom Ashby at www.reuters.com
LAGOS (Reuters) - A Briton and an American were kidnapped on Thursday by an unknown group from an oil prospecting ship off the coast of Nigeria's southern state of Bayelsa, diplomatic and security sources said.
Noone immediately took responsibility for the abduction, the latest in a wave of violence against foreigners in the world's eighth largest oil exporter which has forced hundreds of workers to pull out and cut oil output by 500,000 barrels a day.
"Two expatriates, an American and a Briton, working for PGS have been kidnapped this morning," a security source said, asking not to be named.
Petroleum Geo-Services (PGS) is a Norwegian-based oil service company specialising in seismic surveys. The company's spokesman in Oslo was not available for comment.
The hostages were taken from a survey ship known as HD Commander, the source added.
Bayelsa is one of Nigeria's top oil producing states at the heart of the Niger Delta, a vast wetlands region which is home to all of Nigeria's petroleum wealth.
Several recent abductions in the delta have been motivated by ransom. Disputes between oil companies and local communities over jobs and other benefits often also play a role.
"I think it was a community related incident rather than militants," the security source said.
Violence in the Niger Delta is rooted in poverty, corruption and lawlessness. Many residents of the impoverished region resent the multi-billion-dollar industry which has damaged their environment, but brought them few benefits.
However, the violence has taken on a momentum of its own. Turf wars over control of a lucrative trade in stolen crude, abductions for ransom, sabotage and thuggery fomented for political ends are all part of the equation.
Analysts expect the situation to deteriorate further in the run-up to general elections in April.
Militant group Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, whose attacks and abductions in February forced Royal Dutch Shell to reduce output by 500,000 barrels a day, said it was not responsible for the kidnapping.
Expat
Village is edited and published by Iain Williams in Caracas, Venezuela.
