A hostage standoff by disgruntled Nigerian oil workers off the West African coast appeared to be winding down after a British captive was released and the rest were promised their freedom. The release of the hostages came after the Houston-based Transocean Inc. struck an accord with the strikers, who have demanded the reinstatement of fired workers and that they be transported to the rigs by helicopters, not boats.
| Tell the SBS they can stand down... |
Still, violence continued to plague the volatile Niger Delta, the heart of the country's oil industry. On Friday, the Nigerian navy battled boatloads of heavily armed Ijaw militants, who are boycotting Saturday's state legislative elections. Local media reported 12 ethnic Ijaws and two navy men were killed, although those reports could not be immediately confirmed.
| They boycott state legislative elections, so the navy shoots 'em up? Must be another of those quaint local customs. I'd say being an Ijaw really sux. Maybe they should become Mormons... |
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