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Wednesday, 07 January, 2009, 16:50 GMT | more >>

Troops on Port Harcourt streets



By Upstream staff 

Nigeria deployed troops to restore order in its oil capital Port Harcourt today after a bloody four-day turf war between rival gangs.

Security sources say about 15 people have been killed in gunfights in the city since Sunday. Police declined to give an official death toll.

"Our men are in the waterfront and other vulnerable areas which are prone to crisis in respect to the recent spate of violence," said military spokesman Sagir Musa.

Port Harcourt is the largest city in the Niger Delta, a wetlands region in southern Nigeria which is home to Africa's largest oil industry.

Extra troops were deployed to the state government headquarters and to the offices of oil giant Shell after a group of armed youths drove past shooting sporadically in the air today, a company source said.

Residents reported hearing gunfire in some parts of the city last night, and police engaged gunmen at a waterfront location this morning. Troops and police patrolled the city in pick-ups and set up roadblocks, Reuters reported.

Separately, militants in the Niger delta released a Briton and a Bulgarian who had been held for a month after being snatched from a oil production barge near Calabar in Cross River State.

The men were employees of UK company Exprogroup.


Thursday, 09 August, 2007, 14:56 GMT  | last updated: Thursday, 09 August, 2007, 16:12 GMT

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