19 kidnapped oil workers released

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) released 19 Nigerian oil workers on 5 October 2008. The workers, along with two British workers and one Ukrainian, had been held for two weeks before their release; MEND is still holding the British and Ukrainian workers, allegedly over "security concerns" associated with the logistics of their release. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) released 19 Nigerian oil workers on 5 October 2008. The workers, along with two British workers and one Ukrainian, had been held for two weeks before their release; MEND is still holding the British and Ukrainian workers, allegedly over "security concerns" associated with the logistics of their release. MEND claims that it was able to rescue the 22 hostages from another militant group which had originally kidnapped them. In a separate development, Nigerian gunmen also released a Briton who was kidnapped on 15 September from Port Harcourt. The victim was a former employee of the petrochemicals firm Indo Rama. Authorities reported that no ransom was paid for his release. Meanwhile, a group of unidentified gunmen kidnapped six Filipino seamen on 5 October in the Niger Delta region. The men were kidnapped shortly after the Briton was released, but it is unclear if these two incidents are connected. The safety and whereabouts of the Filipino workers are currently unknown, but authorities are working to locate the men and secure their release.