20101113
africanews

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Southern Nigeria said foreign hostages kidnapped from an oil rig this week were in good health but would be in its custody "for a while."

According to Reuters, in a published detail of seven foreign hostages in their custody, MEND confirmed it was holding two U.S. citizens, two Frenchmen, two Indonesians and a Canadian taken from an offshore rig on Sunday.

"The abduction of the seven expatriates from the shallow-water Okoro oilfield in Akwa Ibom state was to prevent the Nigerian government from denying the attack on this facility," Reuters quoted MEND as saying in an emailed statement.

"The seven individuals are all in good health and will be in our custody for a while," it added.