By Nick Tattersall
LAGOS (Reuters) - Gunmen in Nigeria released eight foreignoil workers seized from a vessel off the Niger Delta onSaturday but eight other people abducted in separate incidentswere still being held, security officials said.
The eight Russian, Latvian and Lithuanian men were seizedearly on Saturday from a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tankeroff the mouth of the Bonny river in the delta, a network ofmangrove creeks which is home to Africa's biggest oil industry.
Lieutenant-Colonel Sagir Musa, military spokesman in theeastern Niger Delta, said the eight had been voluntarilyreleased by their captors.
"They have been released late this evening ... I doubt thatany ransom was paid," Musa said, without giving furtherdetails.
Private security contractors said the men were thought tohave been working for Global Gas and Refining Ltd, a Nigeriansubsidiary of U.S.-based Global Energy Inc. run by a prominentlocal businessman, which may have aided their rapid release.
The company could not immediately be reached for comment.
Insecurity in the world's eighth biggest oil exporter hascut Nigeria's oil output by around a fifth since militantslaunched a campaign of violent sabotage in early 2006 to pressfor greater development in their neglected communities.
Despite half a century of oil extraction, most villagers inthe Niger Delta remain mired in poverty, while the industry haspolluted their land and water.
"ALL IS FAIR IN WAR"
Criminal gangs have taken advantage of the breakdown of lawand order, funding themselves through a lucrative trade instolen crude oil and by kidnapping businessmen, localpoliticians and expatriates for ransom.
More than 200 foreigners have been seized since themilitants began their campaign more than two years ago. Almostall have been released unharmed.
In an attack late on Thursday, gunmen took 11 Russians anda Ukrainian on a vessel off Bonny Island. Some were released onFriday but five were still being held, security officials said.
More than a dozen men in speedboats kidnapped two oilengineers, one from the Philippines and one Nigerian, from avessel in the main industry hub of Port Harcourt on Friday.Another Filipino was seized while buying food on land.
Security sources said it was not clear whether the samegroup was behind all the kidnappings. No ransom demands havebeen made publicly.
Two Germans working for construction firm Julius Bergerkidnapped two weeks ago are also still being held.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND)-- the region's main militant group which has pledged to bomboil pipelines over the next few weeks -- said it was notinvolved in any of the abductions.
"None of our units have reported being involved in anykidnapping yet," MEND said in an e-mail to Reuters, but saidthe insecurity would help its campaign.
"These gangs have their advantages even though we do notsupport their motives and sometimes the modus. The truth isthat all is fair in war, as they have a way of frustrating themilitary and helping them lose focus," it said.
(Additional reporting by Austin Ekeinde in Port Harcourtand Randy Fabi in Abuja; editing by Richard Williams)
