Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

Nigeria Leader Declares State of Emergency

It remains to be seen if the state of emergency will lead to a disruption of Nigerian oil. If so this could have serious consequences for the United States who depends heavily on their sweet crude. -Am

Tuesday May 18, 2004 11:46 AM


LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) - Nigeria's civilian president declared a state of emergency powers Tuesday in the violence-ravaged central state of Plateau, replacing the state's elected governor with a former military general and dissolving its legislature.

The declaration gives President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration sweeping powers to rule by decree in the state where hundreds have been killed in recent weeks in fighting pitting Christian and Muslim ethnic groups.

In an address on state radio, Obasanjo said he was suspending Gov. Joshua Dariye and other elected state officials who he said had ``wittingly and unwittingly encouraged acts that have subverted peace and tranquility.''

Replacing Dariye is retired Maj. Gen. Chris Ali, a state resident who served in the Nigerian army under previous junta rulers.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4103507,00.html





Oil fire kills 19 in southern Nigeria

www.chinaview.cn 2004-05-18 17:07:42


LAGOS, May 18 (Xinhuanet) -- At least 19 persons were feared dead in an early morning fire on Monday arising from an oil pipeline explosion in Rivers state, southern Nigeria, local newspaper The Punch reported Tuesday.

The victims were suspected to have tampered with oil installations, which crisscross Afam-Itam in the state's Oyigbo local government area, in an attempt to siphon oil into their waiting oil tanker for sale.

The newspaper said that the youths were trapped when a major explosion arising from a ruptured oil pipeline, sparked off a hugeflame which consumed them and also ravaged farmlands.

Although the incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, the fire was still burning around 7 p.m. (GMT 1800) on Monday, it added.

Ndubisi Nwankwo, the state's commissioner for energy and natural resources, confirmed to the newspaper that no fewer than 19 of the victims died in the inferno while many who sustained severe burns had been rushed to hospitals.

However, police said that five persons were killed in the inferno while many others were seriously injured and investigations of the cause of the incident and the casualty figure were underway.

Another newspaper The Guardian said Tuesday the fire had claimed over 10 lives, all of them males.

It quoted officials in the state as saying that illegal oil bunkering had been a tradition in Afam-Itam and those involved hadbeen having a running battle with the state government and the police.

Official figures show that Nigeria, Africa's largest oil producer, loses about 145,000 barrels per day to oil pipeline vandalization and theft, down from 386,000 barrels recorded by themiddle of last year. Enditem



http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-05/18/content_1476797.htm