Nigerian rebels hijack oil ship, hold 15 sailors

Nigerian militants hijacked an oil industry ship and were holding 15 Filipino sailors hostage Thursday as the gunmen demanded that all oil workers leave the southern Niger Delta within days.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said in a statement the region’s fighters hijacked the ship late Wednesday, then destroyed five gunboats in attacks on two military bases Thursday morning, a day after clashing with security forces.

Military spokesman Col. Rabe Abubakar said two oil ships had been attacked, confirming that 15 Filipino crew members were being detained in a militant camp.

Nigeria is Africa’s biggest crude producer. After years of militant activity and lack of maintenance on crucial oil infrastructure, Nigeria produces about 1.6 million barrels of crude per day, or about one quarter less than its stated capacity.

The violence this week ended months of relative calm after the militants had declared a unilateral cease-fire in their three-year campaign for more oil wealth to be invested in the impoverished southern region.

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