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The Bargaining Will Begin
Six Russians that were abducted by gunmen of ultra-left Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta are in the Niger delta now, secret services of Nigeria determined. There are no practical chances to liberate the Russians by force, as the kidnapped are kept in one of thousand islands, and the delta is swampy and full of crocodiles. But the Russians could be bought out, as the Red Brigade fighters feel no class hatred to foreign prisoners.
The abduction of six Russians looked more like a special action aimed at wiping out some terror underground, RUSAL representatives in Nigeria said.
Driving in two Toyota minibuses, the gunmen broke into a compound at Alscon aluminum smelter early Sunday. They were armed by Kalashnikov sub-machine guns and dressed in field uniform of Nigerian army. The faces of gunmen were covered by masks and they were led by a man dressed as an officer.
Given the great influence of military in Nigeria, it is not surprising that the guards didn’t attempt to oppose attackers. A local driver, who tried to step in, was shot down in no time.
The police that arrived to the compound chased the gunmen, to no avail though. The witnesses said they took to the boats and headed for the Niger delta.
Quite soon, the kidnappers called a few federal officials of Nigeria, to inform that the abduction was carried out by Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta.
All Russians are alive, Nigerian police assured, but it won’t be easy to liberate them by force. The militants started with political claims, but the usual practice is that they shift to bargaining in the next move, according to the police.
The amount of average ransom isn’t very much – just tens of thousands of U.S. dollars. But the price will soar several fold if the gunmen learn from the media that they captured top managers, which, perhaps, explains the refusal of RUSAL to disclose names and positions of the kidnapped, said one of the Russia’s diplomats working in Nigeria.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of June 06, 2007
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