Shell staff, 30 others kidnapped in Rivers

BY: Ikenna Oluka

Two Royal Dutch Shell oil workers were kidnapped, and their police escorts killed, in Nigeria’s restive Delta region, a police spokesman said on Friday.

The workers were in Rivers State, returning from an official trip to Bayelsa State, when they were attacked, according to a Reuters report.

It quoted a spokesman for the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) as saying that the company “regrets to confirm the attack on its staff and government security escort at Rumuji, Rivers State, on the East/West road on Thursday, April 25, 2019 around 16:00 hours.

“We are supporting the police in their investigation of the incident. We cannot make further comments at this time.”

In a related development, unknown gunmen terrorising Ahoada, Ikwere and Emohua local councils of Rivers State have shot dead a driver before abducting 30 passengers of a commercial bus along the Emohua axis of the East-West road.

A report on Saturday morning by The Guardian said that the hijacked bus conveying 30 passengers was said to have left Port Harcourt, the state capital, and was heading to Abua Odual council when the gunmen struck

It quoted a source in the area as saying that the driver of the bus was shot dead after he denied the kidnappers access into the vehicle by allegedly pressing the lock button.

The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed the attacks, assuring that the police were on the trail of the attackers.