Nigeria's militant group the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has kidnapped 24 foreigners on board a cargo ship at the Chanomi Creeks in Nigeria's southern state of Delta, local newspaper Sunday Vanguard reported.

An official of the MEND was quoted as confirming that the organization was responsible for the kidnap. "The hostages are in safe condition," said the official who refused to be named.

The MEND is demanding the immediate release of former Bayelsa State Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and leader of the Niger Delta People's Volunteer Front M. Asari-Dokubo. The two are now standing trial in the capital Abuja for money laundering and treason separately.

The official maintained that the reasons given by the Nigerian federal government for the continued detention of Alamieyeseigha and Asari-Dokubo "do not hold water" and warned that "except they were released, the MEND would continue with its liberation struggle."

He further said "if they (the federal and state governments) think that we do not mean it, let them not listen to us, we will bomb and destroy the Chevron Oil Tank Farm in Escravos" in Delta state.

According to Sheddy Ozoene, the spokesman for the Delta state government, the MEND gave the Nigerian federal government 72-hour ultimatum to meet its demands or all the hostages would be eliminated and the ship destroyed.

The hostages, Sheddy said, included six crew members of the ship, adding that "the Filipinos, we understand, are okay."

The spokesman said the general cargo ship belonging to Bacoliner was stopped and seized at Okerenkoko on Saturday morning.

Earlier report said only seven people, including six Filipinos and one local worker were abducted.

Nigeria is the largest oil producer in Africa or the sixth largest oil exporter in the world with a daily output of crude of 2.5 million barrels.

But since the beginning of 2006, militant groups in the delta region have launched dozens of kidnappings and attacks on oil installations, which cut down the oil output by a quarter or 62, 700 barrels a day.

Source: Xinhua