Nigerian militants threaten all-out oil war

Nigerian militants have released six foreign oil workers they deemed “low value”, but held on to two Americans and one Briton and threatened crippling new attacks aimed at cutting off all oil production in Nigeria.

American Macon Hawkins, who turned 69 yesterday, was the first to be released, set free in the presence of foreign journalists visiting the West African nation’s swampy delta region. Militants said in an e-mailed statement afterward that the ageing diabetic was freed “on account of his age and poor health.”