German Contractor Kidnapped in Nigeria

The oil contractor was abducted while working in the oil rich Nigerian city of Port Harcourt. According to a police spokesperson, the man was taken on Thursday at approximately 7:00am by a group of 10 armed men dressed in camouflage military gear.

Reports have said the Bilfinger and Berger Gas and Oil Services employee was allegedly flagged down while driving along a major highway, put into the trunk of another vehicle then taken to a location where he was loaded into a speedboat.

Increasing Number of Foreigners Kidnapped

Thirty oil workers have been snatched this year alone, with three of these kidnappings occurring in Port Harcourt. More recently, a group on eight soldiers and 16 oil workers was released on Monday, after being held captive for a about a week at an oil pumping station.

Attacks by militias have escalated, with groups such as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) using kidnappings to gain more control over the valuable commodity.

There have been a number of kidnappings in recent times by the MEND group, along with other lawless gangs who ask for a ransom in return for the captives, typically people working for oil companies.

Militas Fighting for Share in Oil Wealth

It has been reported that the Militia groups claim to be fighting for a greater stake in the wealth created by oil exports for the poverty-stricken country, which still remains in need, while the oil companies accumulate extensive wealth. Nigeria has the largest oil industry in Africa and is the eighth largest exporter of oil in the world.

The ongoing warfare has stifled production levels of international oil companies working in the West African nation by about 25 percent annually. In previous instances, hostages have been released unharmed in exchange for payment, except for an American oil worker, who was killed in Port Harcourt in April.