http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/africa...ush/index.html
LAGOS, Nigeria -- Two U.S. workers with the Chevron oil company and three Nigerian employees have been killed in an ambush in the volatile Niger delta region of Nigeria.
Two workers, one American and one Nigerian, were also injured when the boat carrying the contractors was attacked on Friday night. The deaths were confirmed by the Nigerian army and the U.S. embassy in Lagos.
The area of the attack is hotly contested between two warring factions, the Ijawis and the Itsekiri, with anyone patrolling the waters usually coming under attack.
ChevronTexaco's Nigerian subsidiary described the attack on the Benin River, south of the oil city of Warri, as "unprovoked."
"It was very shocking and it took us by complete surprise," company spokesman Deji Haastrup told AP.
"We are in total darkness as to what could be the motive," he added.
The oil workers had been inspecting ChevronTexaco oil and gas facilities at Dibi and Olero Creek, among installations abandoned by the company since ethnic violence mounted in March 2003.