Nigeria set for oil hostage talks (3 Americans among those held hostage)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4730754.stm

The Nigerian government says it has assembled a team to negotiate the release of nine foreign oil workers seized by militants in the Niger Delta.

Three Americans, two Thais, two Egyptians, a Briton and Filipino were abducted on Saturday while laying a pipeline for Shell.

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He says usually in Nigeria hostages are released unharmed after some sort of deal, sometimes political but mostly financial.

But, our correspondent adds, more worryingly for the government this time the group has a political agenda of securing greater control of the oil wealth and unlike most previous kidnappings, this group has proved it is serious by staging well-organised attacks that have drastically cut Nigerian oil exports.

More at link

Seems this news has just slid off the first page. It's a big deal. the hostages work for Shell vis-a-vis Willbros company.

From article:
"We have not reached a decision on what to do with these individuals... The next few days will determine what steps we will take," the statement read.

The militants threatened to step up their attacks by firing rockets at international oil tankers.

"We'll use our rockets on the ships to stop them from taking our oil," Efie Alari, a self-declared commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, was quoted by AP as saying.