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03/27/2006:

"Nigerian Militants Free Foreign Hostages"

WARRI, Nigeria (AP) -- Militants demanding control of revenues from Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta released their last remaining foreign hostages on Monday -- two Americans and a Briton -- but the group threatened to continue attacks on oil installations.

Abel Oshevire, spokesman for the southern Delta state government, said Americans Cody Oswalt, Russell Spell and Briton John Hudspith were released just before dawn after more than five weeks in captivity.

''They are here with us now and are all in good health,'' Oshevire told reporters.

The militants, responsible for a wave of recent attacks in southern Nigeria, took nine foreign oil workers hostage Feb. 18 from a barge owned by Willbros Group Inc., the Houston-based oil services company that was laying pipeline in the delta for Royal Dutch Shell. The group released six of the captives after 12 days.
nytimes.com