Those released are; John Stapleton, Ignazio Gugliotta, Alfonso Franza, Raffaele Pascariello, Mario Celentano and Jurica Ruic.
They were originally to have been handed over to the italian honorary consul, pillon pino who for security concerns was unable to participate in the release.
All hostages were handed to the bayelsa governor, Mr. Timipre Sylva who was accompanied by David Brigidi to the camp where these individuals were been held.
As agreed, they will be handed over to their employers, chevron Nigeria.
This release in no way signifies our intention to halt abductions, but preparedness to dialogue with a willing government. As long as indigenes of the Niger delta are held by the Nigerian government unjustly, we will continue with the abduction of oil workers and encourage all groups in the delta to do likewise.
The present administration is threading the path taken by its predecessors in staging carnivals in Abuja and dialoguing with individuals from the Niger Delta who constantly been proven to be incapable of assisting in quelling the unrest in the delta.
MEND will only dialogue with the Nigerian government through intermediaries appointed by us in the presence of a neutral arbiter acceptable to all.
We will suspend attacks on oil installations for one month. A period which we hope the government will take advantage of to ruminate on positive and realistic measures towards a just peace in the delta. Following this period, we will resume attacks on installations and oil workers in the delta with greater purpose.
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