Nigerian militants ‘seize tanker’
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Nigerian militants ‘seize tanker’
2:05PM Friday Jul 10, 2009
MANILA, Philippines – A Philippine official says Nigerian militants have seized a Singaporean-flagged tanker with a crew of six, including two Filipinos.
Philippine Foreign Affairs spokesman Eduardo Malaya says armed militants boarded the tanker July 4 about 30kilometres off Koko in Nigeria’s oil-rich Delta State.
He says the crew is in good condition and the Philippine government is coordinating with the ship’s owner in Singapore who is negotiating the release of the crew and vessel.
An upsurge in violence in Nigeria that began in 2006 has seen hundreds of foreign workers kidnapped and dozens of attacks on crucial oil infrastructure. Hostages are normally released unharmed although several have died during botched snatch or rescue attempts.
-AP