American Oil Worker, 3 Others Kidnapped

Armed men seized four foreign oil workers -- two Britons, an American and a German -- from a nightclub, the latest in a spate of abductions targeting Nigeria’s petroleum industry.

But five other workers kidnapped previously -- three Filipinos, a Moroccan and a Belgian -- were released.

Kidnappings and sabotage by militants, who argue that the impoverished region does not benefit from its oil, have cut Nigerian production by more than 20% since the beginning of the year. Most abductees in the delta region are returned unharmed.