Nigerian Oil Workers Freed; Ransoms Paid?

It appears that the Nigerian kidnap victims have been freed. CNN reports:

Kidnappers in Nigeria have freed the six remaining foreign oil workers they were holding captive after earlier releasing two of the men, a spokesman for the British Embassy said Sunday.

Six Britons, one American and one Canadian were seized by gunmen from an oil rig 40 miles off the coast in a night raid on Friday.

Two Britons were freed in the early hours of Sunday and the rest several hours later.

"The remaining six have been freed. I understand they're all in good health," a British Embassy spokesman said.

The abductions on Friday followed a series of militant attacks this year that have shut down a quarter of oil output from Africa's top producer.

Authorities declined to comment on whether a ransom had been paid, but a security source close to the situation said money had changed hands.

It's great to know that these people were released, but the price is too high - it only gives further incentives for those doing the kidnapping to continue their kidnapping ways. Nigeria has witnessed this scenario repeated on a regular basis over the past year and the repeated kidnappings have also taken a toll on the oil markets. This has caused the oil markets to increase the price of oil because of the instability in the Nigerian sector of production.