Gunmen attack oil vessels in Nigeria

Brittany Sturdivant
December 4, 2008
Energy and Oil

Several gunmen attacked two oil services vessels in Nigeria’s restive Niger Delta on Thursday. A Russian and Mexican were kidnapped along with other Nigerians. It has been reported today that at least one person had died in this incident. They have not released the victim’s name, but they have said that the victim was not an oil company employee. The vessel was attacked about 13 miles off the coast of Akwa Ibom. This was near a crude oil rig operated by Canada's Addax Petroleum. This isn’t the first time that the OMl has been attacked this year. Actually it has been attacked over six times this year already. Another vessel, The Tiger Fish, was hijacked around the Sombreiro River area. During this attack six crew members were kidnapped. The captors are supposedly demanding a 23,000 ransom.
I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that these oil vessels keep getting attacked. I don’t see why there isn’t more security in place to make sure that this doesn’t happen to other vessels again. I think this is really ridiculous and there needs to be an end to this so that other oil vessels or oil companies do not get attacked like the ones we’ve been hearing about lately. It seems like almost every week I hear about an oil field or an oil vessel that has been attacked. I think here definitely needs to be more security and other procedures in place so that these hijackings will hopefully come to an end.

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSL460018520081204