LAGOS: A Nigerian militant group said it abducted six foreign oil workers in an attack on Tuesday on an oil vessel on the Penington River in southern Bayelsa state.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said the kidnappings were to counter reports that it was in support of Nigeria's president-elect Umaru Yar'Adua and his deputy Goodluck Jonathan, who is also the governor of Bayelsa state.

MEND, which says it is fighting for more local control over the Niger Delta's oil wealth, said the attack should also serve as a warning to Shell over its return to oilfields previously attacked by the group.

MEND identified the hostages taken in the assault on US energy giant Chevron's offshore loading terminal as Italians

Raffele Pascariello, Alfonso Frawza, Ignazio Gugliota and Mario Celetano, American John Stapleton, and Croat Juricha Ruic.

“The hostages will be released unconditionally on May 30, 2007,” MEND said in an email statement.—Reuters