Nigeria troops 'burn Delta slums'

The conflict between the inhabitants of the Niger delta, multinational oil companies and the Nigerian government which protects them has been raging for months. It hasn’t gone away, although press attention has waned.

Although hostages are routinely released unharmed by militant groups, the government has launched a brutal assault on communities said to be harboring them. This came just days after the Nigerian government inked a deal with a Japanese company to build a new LNG pipeline from the delta to the city of Kaduna.

AllAfrica reports that 800,000 bpd of oil has been shut in because of ‘militant’ activity. Much of this would be destined for the U.S.A., Europe and Japan. This may well be why the government is stepping up its assaults on the people of the delta.

Nigerian soldiers have burnt hundreds of slum houses near where a soldier was killed during the kidnapping of foreign oil workers, residents say.

Residents in the city of Port Harcourt say the troops became angry when they learned one of their colleagues had been killed in a shootout.

Hundreds fled with their belongings as the fire spread through the slum area.

The army, which is pursuing militants in the Niger Delta, blamed the fires on militants disguised as soldiers.

At least three foreigners were abducted by gunmen from a bar close to the offices of a subsidiary of the Italian oil company, Eni, on Thursday night, near where the slums were burnt.

During the kidnapping, a soldier protecting the workers was shot and killed.

Posted by Szamko
Just tries to tell the truth.

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