Oil firm risked hostages' lives

Al Jazeera article on a failed oil company hostage release plan in Nigeria. Some interesting behind the scenes information.

Nigeria Pipeline Explosion

The death toll continues to rise in Nigeria after a gasoline pipe exploded, killing hundreds of people who were trying to collect the leaking fuel. There have been similar incidents in Nigeria over the years with similar and greater numbers of fatalities.

From an NGO safety and security perspective, incidents like this reinforce the need to identify any hazard sites in close proximity to your organization's operations. Chemical plants, pipelines, munitions depots, and railways (used to carry hazardous materials) are all examples. Your contingency planning should include the potential impact if an accident occurs at one of these sites and how staff will respond.

Shell families evacuated in Nigeria

It's not specifically NGO-related, but the current situation in Nigeria bears watching as attacks against oil interests have escalated, prompting the evacuation of 400 family members of Shell employees. Once primarily confined to kidnapping ex-pat oil workers for ransom, the past week has seen car-bombings and vocal threats of more violence by rebel groups.