Josephine Lohor
1 May 2003
Abuja, Mike Oduniyi in Lagos And Onwuka Nzeshi in Warri — The Nigerian Navy has deployed ships, helicopters and officers to the oil fields offshore Rivers state where striking oil workers are holding about 68 expatriate workers hostage on four oil rigs run by the United States-based company, Transocean.
Navy spokesman, Captain Sinefi Hungiapuko, who disclosed this while speaking on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), monitored in Abuja yesterday said the Nigerian Navy has been authorized to use force if the dialogue that has already began between the government and the oil workers breaks down.
Hungiapuko said, "the Navy is directly involved now. We are trying to make sure things are settled peacefully. The Navy is in the area. Our men will move to take control of the rigs".
THSIDAY checks reveal that relatives of some of the trapped workers had tried unsuccessfully to rescue them early yesterday.
The move by the families of the hostages made the workers union of Transocean Limited, to barricade the oil rigs.
However, navy sources disclosed that the barricade will not disturb the rescue operation when the go-ahead is given from the headquarters.
The British families whose relatives are working on the oil rigs had expressed concern over the fate of their persons following alleged threats to blow up the rigs if Transocean uses force to end the dispute.
The general-secretary of the Aberdeen office of the British oil workers' union, the OILC, Mr. Jake Molloy, who disclosed this, said, "it appears now that an injunction has been decreed from the courts in Nigeria and bailiffs will be sent offshore."
"It means an armed bailiff with two armed guards will be flown to each of the rigs to serve this injunction on the strikers. That in itself, it is believed by both the families and the workers offshore, can only further fuel the situation".
The spokesman of Transocean, Mr. Guy Cantwell, insists, however, that the situation is under control as "on the four rigs that we have, the conditions are relatively calm. The people who are on the rigs are able to move about the rigs, they can eat their meals in the galley and can continue to do safety checks".
Security sources said the Nigerian naval war ships had set sail for the rigs late on Monday and had awaited directives to move in, apparently awaiting the outcome of the peace meeting called by NUPENG in Lagos.
The BBC quoted Navy spokesman Captain Hungi-apuko as saying that while he hoped to end the siege through dialogue, but that the navy had been authorised to use force.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) reported yesterday, the vandalisation of a petroleum products pipeline that runs from Warri through Benin.
The corporation said in a statement that the product pipeline was vandalised 10 kilometers from Benin City, in Edo State, "with the vandals using three 33,000 litre-capacity trucks to siphon products.
"An NNPC monitoring team which detected the vandalisation following a tip off alerted law enforcement agents who arrested the suspects including impounding the trucks," it said.
The act came barely three weeks after an oil pipeline suppling crude to the Warri and Kaduna refineries was blown up. It has since led to the closure of the two refineries.
NNPC Group Managing Director, Mr. Jackson Gaius-Obaseki however, assured that the latest act of vandalisation would not affect products supply to the area.
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