American Professor Shot In Nigeria!
| DATE : Wednesday, 25 July 2007 | |
| Gunmen shot and wounded an American professor and a security guard today at a newspaper office in oil-rich southern Nigeria, according to a man who arrived just after the incident. Both victims were taken to a hospital for treatment in the oil city of Port Harcourt, said Patrick Naagbanton, a local environmental activist. The professor was attending an awards ceremony at the National Point newspaper. The name of the American has been withheld until next of kin are notified. Police had no immediate comment. Unrest is growing in Nigeria’s oil-rich south, which has seen over 150 foreigners seized by kidnapping rings this year alone. Two people were killed in an attack on the offices of a non-governmental agency last year, and violent robberies are common. It was not immediately clear what sparked the attack on the professor and guard, said Naagbanton, who campaigns for environmental rights. There are several armed militant groups operating in the oil fields of Africa’s largest oil producer, demanding a greater share of political rights and oil revenues for their polluted and impoverished region. However, the availability of arms, a growth in the number of criminal gangs and the involvement of some powerful local politicians during last April’s elections has also helped to stoke the violence. Nigeria is capable of producing around 2.5 million barrels of oil per day, but about a quarter of that has been shut off following a string of bombings and kidnappings. |
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