Heeding Obasanjo’s directive to “arrest the criminals who will face the full wrath of the law”, the Nigerian government has set up a Joint Task Force, Operation Restore Hope, to hunt down the killers.

Local authorities in the area have also put up a US$73,000 bounty for the murderers of IBSI vice president of construction Denny Fowler, IBSI project manager Ryne Hathaway and the five unidentified Nigerians.

The men were working at reopening oil wells operated by ChevronTexaco which had been shut down since March last year as a result of fighting in the region.

It was a Task Force patrol in Ogheye Creek near the city of Warri which came under attack by militant forces. According to military spokesman Major Said Hammed, “The troops were on their way back after deployment when the militants attacked their convoy. The militants died in a gunfight with soldiers.”

According to Nigerian Defence Minister Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, “We are determined to track down the killers of two Americans and five Nigerians. Peace in the Niger Delta is paramount.”

“Leaders in the Niger Delta [must] ensure the dastardly killings of oil workers never happen again,” added Kwankwaso.

In related news, the Group MD of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp, Funsho Kupolokun, has pleaded with US energy giant ChevronTexaco to not pull-out from Nigeria and to continue its work in the African nation.

ChevronTexaco had threatened to shut down production in the Olero and Dibi creek fields following the killings of the two American contractors from IBSI and ChevronTexaco workers and Nigerian naval escort personnel.

Speaking at an address to ChevronTexaco staff at the Escravos terminal near Warri, Kupolokun said, “Do not be discouraged by the murder of some of [your] staff. If you are to succumb to the fear factors and refuse to work, then you will be doing injustice to the memories of your departed colleagues.”