Five kidnapped South Korean natural gas plant workers released

Thursday, June 8, 2006 Five South Korean natural gas plant workers who were kidnapped yesterday have been released to a member of the Nigerian Senate, David Brigidi. The five ex-hostages walked into a Nigerian Government building and were in good health.

The kidnappers, who belong to the group Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, released the workers after Mujahid Dokubo-Asari pled for the release. Mujahid Dokubo-Asari is a militant who is currently in prison and the kidnappers were demanding that he be released.

"All five Korean prisoners captured by our unit in the attack on the Daewoo camp were released … at the request of Dokubo-Asari," said the group.

Shell Petroleum Development Company operated the plant in the Nigerian Delta where the hostages worked. Shell has since closed the plant after the group said yesterday that more attacks were "planned" on the facility. The plant is located in Port Harcourt and Daewoo Engineering and Construction Co. and Korea Gas Corp. were the workers employers.

Today the group again reaffirmed their earlier statement that all "oil companies in the Niger Delta are again warned to leave while they can."