On August 10, 2006, two foreign oil workers were seized by armed men dressed in military fatigues in Rivers State.
Police sources disclosed that the incident occurred at about 5:30 a.m. near a remote flow station in Rivers State.
According to sources, the attackers, estimated to be between 8 and 10 men, arrived in two speedboats and stormed the facility.
Witnesses said the gunmen wore camouflage uniforms similar to those used by security forces.
The victims, identified as one British national and one American national, were both contractors working for a major international oil company operating in the Niger Delta.
“They came shooting in the air, tied up the security guards, and took the two expatriates,” a local supervisor who prefers anonymity said.
“They left a note saying they were fighting for resource control.”
The oil company confirmed that operations at the affected facility had been shut down and that it was working with Nigerian authorities and the embassies of the two countries.
Diplomats in Abuja condemned the attack and urged all foreign nationals in high-risk areas to review their security arrangements.
