This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000405 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS DOE FOR DAS JBRODMAN AND CGAY 
TREASURY FOR ASEVERENS AND SRENENDER 
COMMERCE FOR KBURRESS 
STATE PASS TRANSPORTATION FOR MARAD 
STATE PASS USAID FOR GWEYNAND AND SLAWAETZ 
STATE FOR DS/IP/AF, AF/EX, DS/IP/OPO, DS/ICI/PII, DS/DSS/ITA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2016 
TAGS: EPET PGOV ASEC PTER CASC NI HOSTAGES
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: HOSTAGE-TAKING, SITREP # 28 
 
REF: LAGOS 401 
 
Classified By: Acting Political/Economic Chief Shannon Ross 
for reasons 1.4 (D/E). 
 
---------------------- 
Hostage Welfare Update 
---------------------- 
 
¶1.  (C)  NGO Director Judy Asuni said the package of 
medicine, the t-shirts and other morale boosters picked up 
from Shell's Warri clinic on Saturday were delivered as of 
10:00 a.m. 
 
¶2.  (C) Willbros representatives reported the Oswalt family 
has arranged a 14:00 CST press conference with three major 
networks to launch an appeal for the release of Oswalt and 
the other hostages.  LegAtt will provide support. 
 
-------------------- 
Hostage Negotiations 
-------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C)  Shell Executive Vice-President Ann Pickard told us 
in a meeting with President Obasanjo and Minister of State 
for Petroleum Daukoru last Friday, President Obasanjo said he 
was "not losing sleep" regarding the hostage situation as he 
generally does when he is worried.  Obasanjo said he was not 
worried about lost production and revenue, saying the 
hostages are more important.  He promised the military would 
not be involved until after the hostages were released, and 
he said development efforts in the Delta had to be ratched up 
and that the current Rivers State initiative was good but 
they did not have the luxury of waiting to start similar 
programs in Delta and Bayelsa.  He intimated the Federal 
Government would step in to handle the ineffective Niger 
Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and raised the prospect 
its budget might be slashed.  Minister Daukoru stated the 
hostages would be released within a week, which Pickard 
assessed as another promise of imminent release lacking 
tangible spporting details.  Further details to follow 
septel. 
 
¶4.  (C)  Delta State Secretary to the State Government (SSG) 
Uduaghan, a representative from the State Security Service 
(SSS), and HMG and USG representatives will meet to discuss 
negotiation status and strategy tonight.  Significantly, this 
is the first time the GON or Delta State have reached out for 
advisory assistance. 
 
¶5.  (C)  Shell sources report Delta State Governor James 
Ibori is concerned about investigations of his assets in the 
UK and US and "paranoid" about our presence in his state. 
Ibori is reportedly even more paranoid knowing FBI officers 
are in Warri, and he does not seem to believe they are there 
for negotiations assistance only.  The Governor recently sent 
a text message to Willbros President Clay Etheridge 
apologizing that there was no news but he was working hard. 
 
¶6.  (C)  George Timinimi, a leader in the Federation of Niger 
Delta Ijaw Communities (FNDIC) and one-time negotiator, was 
attacked over the weekend by youths in fatigues, who sources 
identified as part of the kidnappers. 
 
------------- 
Energy Update 
------------- 
 
¶7.  (C)  Sources at AGIP report an explosion at their 
Tebidaba-Brass pipeline 15 kilometers from Brass, Bayelsa 
State.  They report loss of 75,000 barrels per day (bpd). 
AGIP reports three bundles of undetonated dynamite were found 
on the pipeline.  Damage assessment crews have not yet been 
able to enter the area to estimate a timeframe for repairs. 
Shell reports dynamite has been used to destroy their 
pipelines since December 2005.  No group has yet claimed 
responsibility for the attack, but one source reported the 
explosion was ordered by the Managing Director of the Niger 
Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to foment continued 
instability in the area and will shift the blame to the 
Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). 
-------------------------- 
Delta Working Group Review 
-------------------------- 
¶8. (C) The Delta Working Group (DWG) met March 20 to share 
information on latest developments in the Delta.  Shell said 
there were threats against their Bonga offshore facility. 
(Note:  Bonga is over 100km offshore.  Shell said militants 
would have to suborn Nigerian navy boats to make an attack. 
End Note.)  Addax Petroleum Services reported that they no 
longer allowed employees to use cellphones offshore and that 
employees would have to use a ship phone to make calls. 
Another oil services company, Hercules, said that it was 
withdrawing workers from the Warri area for the week of the 
census (March 21 - 25) after threats from Ijaw youths in the 
area.  Exxon/Mobil is still investigating the March 31 
deadline set out by the Martyr's Brigade in the press for 
payment of compensation from a 1998 oil spill. 
 
--------------- 
Military Update 
--------------- 
 
¶9.  (C)  There were no significant military developments. 
 
------------ 
Media Update 
------------ 
 
¶10.  (SBU)  There has been significant media coverage of 
statements made by the U.S. Ambassador last week, promising 
further support for long-term efforts to develop the Niger 
Delta after the hostages are released.  CNN's Inside Africa 
program over the weekend spotlighted MEND.  Presidential 
spokesman Femi Fani-Kayode called the group a criminal 
element with interests only in lining their own pockets. 
 
--------------- 
Consular Update 
--------------- 
 
¶11.  (C)  There have been no reports of additional attacks on 
AmCits.  One mission Conoff and one FEST member are in Warri 
monitoring negotiations and prepared to assist with 
repatriation.  The UK also has a consular officer in Warri to 
monitor negotiations and assist with repatriation.  The head 
of Shell Security is on standby for repatriation assistance. 
HOWE