Four Thai nationals kidnapped in southern Nigeria: officials

[Lite Beer]

Four Thai nationals kidnapped in southern Nigeria: officials

LAGOS, August 10, 2013 (AFP) - A gang has abducted four Thai nationals in southern Nigeria in what was believed to be a ransom kidnapping, while a Nigerian drowned in the incident, a local official said Saturday.

A group of kidnappers in a boat on Friday attacked the four Thais and two Nigerians while they were on their way to work at a fish farm in the southern state of Rivers, state agriculture commissioner Emmanuel Chindah told AFP.

The incident occurred in the Buguma area, where the fish farm is state-owned but operated by the Israeli firm Onida, according to the commissioner.

"Some of these hoodlums crossed them in the water," Chindah said.

"They sped off and dropped the two Nigerians somewhere before going further into the creeks. One Nigerian drowned. The four Thai nationals are still with them."

Chindah said there had not yet been any contact with the abductors, but the incident was believed to be a ransom kidnapping, which occurs regularly in the region.

Most kidnap victims in southern Nigeria are released unharmed after the payment of a ransom, unlike in the country's north, where Islamist extremists have killed a number of their hostages.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-08-10

[trainman34014]

The kidnappers obviously want to know more about 'Thainess' !

[surangw]

just how much could they get from fish farm workers?

( they missed their big chance when you know who was visiting)

[dudu]

I think Thaksin should pay the ransom to show his honest concern for Thai people...

[DiamondKing]

just how much could they get from fish farm workers?

( they missed their big chance when you know who was visiting)

You people are PATHETIC every opportunity to bring up TS

[Soi Sauce]

just how much could they get from fish farm workers?

( they missed their big chance when you know who was visiting)

You people are PATHETIC every opportunity to bring up TS

Watch and wait. Why would anyone bother to kidnap piss-poor people?

A saviour will come soon and use it for political gain. There's a lot of white chargers in Arabiaq.

Think! Who would pay for u if you were kidnapped, ransomned, etc?

Not 2 many people, and wot u worth?

More than the average fisherman, I suppose.

Planned, sure.

[ratcatcher]

just how much could they get from fish farm workers?

( they missed their big chance when you know who was visiting)

You people are PATHETIC every opportunity to bring up TS

Watch and wait. Why would anyone bother to kidnap piss-poor people?

A saviour will come soon and use it for political gain. There's a lot of white chargers in Arabiaq.

Think! Who would pay for u if you were kidnapped, ransomned, etc?

Not 2 many people, and wot u worth?

More than the average fisherman, I suppose.

Planned, sure.

I think there's a couple of Nigerian chaps presently enjoying Thai hospitality at The Bangkok Hilton.

Maybe there will be an exchange on offer?

[Skywalker69]

Four Thais? Could it be Thaksin, Chalerm, Jatuporn and Nattawut?..........................No guess Thailand is not that lucky.

[I Like Thai]

The Israeli firm Onida should pay the ransom

[noitom]

The Israeli firm Onida should pay the ransom

It's a certainty that the Nigerian kidnappers will be proposing a deal to the Onida board. Let's see if the Israelis ante up or leave the Thai laborers to fend for themselves.

[chooka]

If they are working in a fish farm I would guess they send most of their money home to the parents. I doubt very much that their families would have any money to pay the kidnappers. Governments normally do not pay ransoms as it encourages further incidents. Unless there is some Hi So Thai willing to give away some money they may be there for some time.

[terry101]

I wonder if they would accept the ransom payment in bags of rice

Jokes aside, good luck to them and hope they manage to get out of this ordeal un-injured.

[dudu]

Just out of curiosity, is the salary for a foreign worker on a fish farm so high,that it attracts Thai workers? or what were they doing there?

[Thai at Heart]

Send in the Thai army I say.

They are tip top at handling this type of thing......

[johnlandy]

These guys are destined to die in Nigeria "who in Thailand is gonna pay a ransom to spring them"

[Payboy]

They can use my 40 million USD for the ransom and stop pestering me by email to collect it.

[Lite Beer]

Foreign ministry seeks to help Thais nationals abducted in Nigeria
By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Aug 11 - Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said today that Thailand is seeking to help four Thai nationals abducted while they were working in Nigeria.

The foreign minister said the conditions of the four Thai labourers were still unclear.

As far as we know, one of two abducted local workers was killed as he tried to escape, according to the Thai minister.

He said he has instructed the Thai ambassador to Nigeria to urgently coordinate with the Nigerian government on this case with safety of the victims being the utmost concern.

Mr Surapong said the motive of the abduction is still unknown whether for ransom or for other reasons. The Thai ambassador to Nigeria, Somchai Paocharoen, is now closely following up on the case.

Initially, Mr Surapong said, we only know that the four victims are working there with an Israeli agricultural company.

Currently there are about 160 Thais in Nigeria, working in petroleum companies and restaurants. Some are also married to Nigerian nationals. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2013-08-11

[CIHUAHUA]

In my spam folder I was informed that the government of Nigeria was holding 2.5 million dollars for me to claim. Maybe these four Thai nationals wanted to collect theirs in person. Maybe the Nigerians thought they were monks.

[mjakob1900]

They can use my 40 million USD for the ransom and stop pestering me by email to collect it.

the thais were employed by some Israelis for fish farming.

government contracted the Israelis for tonnes of money and the Israelis employed the services of thais for peanuts and did not provide them a safe environment to work.

this is why they got taken.

there are thousands of westerners working in the oil and gas industry in this region and they don't get harmed...

[Neilly]

there are thousands of westerners working in the oil and gas industry in this region and they don't get harmed...

They still get kidnapped tho

Oil worker kidnapped in Nigeria

Hostage-takings are common in Nigeria's oil delta, where activists and thugs frequently target oil companies with sabotage, kidnappings and other attacks in a bid to extort payoffs. The hostages are rarely harmed.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-190932/Oil-worker-kidnapped-Nigeria.html#ixzz2beLyhWdt

Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

[slapout]

They can use my 40 million USD for the ransom and stop pestering me by email to collect it.

the thais were employed by some Israelis for fish farming.

government contracted the Israelis for tonnes of money and the Israelis employed the services of thais for peanuts and did not provide them a safe environment to work.

this is why they got taken.

there are thousands of westerners working in the oil and gas industry in this region and they don't get harmed...

As already pointed out in another post, your last statement is uninformed and wrong. No company can provide a complete safe work envirnment much less travel to and from and resident sites. That is the reason salaries are higher in these troubled spots, most positions exculde family units and the individuals make a decision prior to accepting work there. Over the course of my working career, I was offered a job in the mentioned 'god forsaken country' several times, but this was one of several countries I had on my "do not work, nor travel to" Even the offshore rigs are not safe from the thugs, when they look for a money source.

[atyclb]

Ransom could be a few hundred tons of rice that is likely only suitable as "fish food" anyway.

[webfact]

ABDUCTION
4 Thais missing in Nigeria were kidnapped : officials
Nuntida Puangthong

BANGKOK: -- Four Thais have been kidnapped in Nigeria and their fate is still unknown, Thai authorities say.

The four Thais and two Nigerians were on their way to work at an Israeli-operated fish farm in the southern state of Rivers when the drama occurred.

The exact circumstances were unclear last night, but reports suggest the group was approached by men in a boat. During or after the kidnap, one of the two Nigerians with the Thai party died - may have drowned, and the other Nigerian is believed to have escaped.

"We have asked the Nigerian government, in its response to this case, to take into account the safety of Thai nationals," Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul emphasised yesterday.

The message was relayed via Thailand's Department of South Asian, Middle East and African Affairs, as well as the Nigerian ambassador to Thailand.

He said the Thai ambassador to Nigeria, Somchai Powcharoen, was closely monitoring the situation and gathering information on the four Thais.

"At this point, we only know they were working for an Israeli firm there," he said. "We will gather more information and contact their families."

It was unclear why the four were kidnapped. "We still don't know whether it's for ransom or something else," Surapong said.

The Employment Department said there are 264 Thai workers in Nigeria, mainly in the oil industry.

Most kidnap victims in southern Nigeria are released unharmed after the payment of a ransom.


-- The Nation 2013-08-12

[nosatisfaction]

just how much could they get from fish farm workers?

( they missed their big chance when you know who was visiting)

You people are PATHETIC every opportunity to bring up TS

Watch and wait. Why would anyone bother to kidnap piss-poor people?

A saviour will come soon and use it for political gain. There's a lot of white chargers in Arabiaq.

Think! Who would pay for u if you were kidnapped, ransomned, etc?

Not 2 many people, and wot u worth?

More than the average fisherman, I suppose.

Planned, sure.

Surely not the butler for once, i'd have a closer look at the misses!!!!!!!!!

[MegaRanter]

I just heard the four kidnapped fish farm workers have been released unharmed.

Also one of the numerous deputy prime ministers is in my town. I might run into him, who want an autograph?

[mjakob1900]

there are thousands of westerners working in the oil and gas industry in this region and they don't get harmed...

They still get kidnapped tho

Oil worker kidnapped in Nigeria

Hostage-takings are common in Nigeria's oil delta, where activists and thugs frequently target oil companies with sabotage, kidnappings and other attacks in a bid to extort payoffs. The hostages are rarely harmed.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-190932/Oil-worker-kidnapped-Nigeria.html#ixzz2beLyhWdt

Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

I realize this is a bit old now and the guys were released after the kidnappers got their bounty and the govt negitiaters got a 150% margin, but for sake of good order.

people in oil and gas industry get taken, so does tankers with petroleum products and get returned after lightening. but they don't normally take blue collar workers unless one is associated with a big brand. I have worked in west Africa for 17 years, and presently at port harcourt where this incident occurred.

in this very case the Israeli's used these naïve thai to carry their risk.