Nigerian militants leave oil-pumping station

Nov. 20, 2006
Militants in Nigeria have abandoned an oil-pumping station operated by Nigeria Agip Oil Co. (NAOC) after a 2-week siege, freeing nine contract workers and some 20 government soldiers.

Eric Watkins
Senior Correspondent

LOS ANGELES, Nov 20 -- Militants in Nigeria have abandoned an oil-pumping station operated by Nigeria Agip Oil Co. (NAOC) after a 2-week siege, freeing nine contract workers and some 20 government soldiers.

A government spokesman said the armed men left the facility in the early hours of Nov. 19 after a truce was brokered by the Bayesla state government.

A senior police officer confirmed that the hostages had been released and the flow station vacated, but he could not say if any ransom was paid to the militants.

Agip's Tebidaba oil pumping station in Nigeria's southern Bayelsa state was overrun and shut down following an attack on Nov. 6 by armed militants, according to company and government officials (OGJ Online, Nov. 06, 2006).

Contact Eric Watkins at [email protected].