In a release today, July 21, the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) said they would release six crew members of the Sichem Peace chemical tanker being held hostage by the group within 24 hours.
The crew members, two Russians, one Ukranian, two Filipinos and one Indian, were taken hostage on July 4 by the insurgent group which is demanding a resolution of "root issues" with the Nigerian government that concern the Niger Delta's tremendous oil wealth.
"Their arrest is meant to serve as a warning to others that there are root issues that have to be resolved with the Nigerian government before normalcy can resume," MEND had said in a statement.
With the hostage release today, Jomo Gbomo, the main spokesperson to MEND said in an emailed release: "This is a dividend of the current ceasefire and we hope that the federal government will begin to reciprocate our gesture by withdrawing the JTF from the Gbaramatu community and allowing the displaced people return home."
"We wish to make it clear however that the pipelines and facilities that were destroyed during Hurricane Piper Alpha and Hurricane Moses will be revisited if they are repaired during this time."
The militant group has declared a 60-day "ceasefire" to honor the release of its leader, Henry Okah. But since Okah's release, the group has attacked a few more pipelines and oil infrastructure in the region including a daring attack against the Atlas cove jetty in Lagos, the first of such attacks outside the Niger delta region. The attacks led to the death of a senior naval commander and 8 others.
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