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WITH the
Philippines banning further sending of Filipino workers
to Nigeria, Abuja tried to assure the international
community of order in that country on Wednesday. It said
it is doing everything to facilitate the safe and
immediate release of 24 kidnapped Filipino sailors.
Nigerian
foreign minister Prof. Joy Ogwu met with Philippine
ambassador to Nigeria Masaranga Umpa Monday afternoon
and gave the assurance they are doing their best to
facilitate the release of the victims.
Nigerian
government press secretary A.R. Adebayo announced
through an English news web site in Nigeria—The
Guardian—that, “The government of Nigeria was working
assiduously to ensure the safety of not only the
abducted [Filipinos] but all foreign nationals within
her territories.”
At the
same time, the Nigerian group of armed militants, the
Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND),
denied involvement in the kidnapping.
Minister
Ogwu pleaded with the international community to remain
calm amid the seeming rise of hostage-taking incidents
in the restive oil-producing Niger Delta Region, where
the Filipinos were seized.
The
Department of Foreign Affairs welcomed the assurance of
the Nigerian government.
MEND
spokesman Jomo Gbomo said in an e-mail statement issued
to local and foreign media, “We wish to deny reports of
our involvement in the kidnap of Filipino seamen off a
cargo ship in Escravos, Delta State on Saturday, January
20, 2007. . .we do not attack cargo vessels, issue ultimatums nor do we execute
hostages in our custody without good reason.”
It added
that the detention of the impeached Bayelsa State
governor, chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and detained
leader of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force (NDPVF)
Alhahi Mujahid Dokubo-Asari does not constitute
sufficient reasons to execute abducted hostages.
There
are around 4,000 Filipino workers in Nigeria, most of
them working in the oil industry. |
