Updated at: 1759 PST, Thursday, November 18, 2010
 PORT HARCOURT: Nigeria's military freed 19 hostages in the country's main oil region, including American, French, Indonesian and Canadian nationals, with no ransom paid, an official said Thursday.
The hostages freed in the operation were presented to journalists on Thursday, some still in their work suits, with the military saying they had been rescued from a militant camp. They appeared in good health.
"These gentlemen were recovered from Obese Camp in Rivers state," said Major General Charles Omoregie. "Not a dime was paid for the release of these gentlemen. It was a sustained raid. We don't go into negotiations." He said there had been no casualties in the operation.
The rescue Wednesday came after a series of kidnappings in the turbulent Niger Delta, the heart of one of the world's largest oil industries, and after the military threatened action to clear out militant camps.
Those released included two French, two Americans, two Indonesians, a Canadian and Nigerians, security sources said. The victims were all taken hostage in recent raids on facilities in the country's Niger Delta. |
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