A GUNMAN ON A MOTORCYCLE SHOT DEAD A U.S. OIL EXECUTIVE IN AN APPARENTLY PLANNED ASSASSINATION IN NIGERIA'S OIL HEARTLAND ON WEDNESDAY, AUTHORITIES SAID ACCORDING TO REUTERS. IT WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY CLEAR IF THE KILLING OF THE MAN, AN EMPLOYEE OF TEXAN OIL SERVICES COMPANY BAKER HUGHES, WAS RELATED TO A FIVE-MONTH CAMPAIGN BY MILITANTS TO CRIPPLE THE OIL INDUSTRY IN THE WORLD'S EIGHTH LARGEST EXPORTER, BUT A DIPLOMAT AND AN OIL COMPANY SOURCE SAID THEY THOUGHT NOT. "THE AMERICAN WAS SHOT BY A MAN ON A MOTORCYCLE. THE MOTORCYCLE PULLED UP BESIDE HIM AND SHOT HIM," SAMUEL AGBETUYI, RIVERS STATE POLICE COMMISSIONER, TOLD REUTERS IN THE SOUTHERN CITY OF PORT HARCOURT, WHERE THE ATTACK HAPPENED. A SPOKESMAN FOR BAKER HUGHES, WHICH DRILLS WELLS AND PERFORMS OTHER SERVICES FOR MAJOR OIL COMPANIES, CONFIRMED AN EMPLOYEE WAS SHOT ON HIS WAY TO WORK ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. "IT'S A TRAGIC THING. WE ARE STILL IN THE INFORMATION GATHERING PHASE," SAID SPOKESMAN GENE SHIELS. THE EXECUTIVE WAS BEING CHAUFFEUR-DRIVEN THROUGH A NOTORIOUSLY VIOLENT AREA OF THE CITY WHEN THE GUNMAN SHOT HIM THROUGH THE CHEST, AN OIL INDUSTRY SOURCE SAID. THE ASSASSIN WAS APPARENTLY WORKING IN COORDINATION WITH A CAR WHICH IMPEDED THE AMERICAN'S ESCAPE. THE SOURCE SAID THAT HE COULD HAVE BEEN TARGETED BECAUSE OF A WORK-RELATED DISPUTE OR SOME PERSONAL MATTER. MILITANTS FROM THE MOVEMENT FOR THE EMANCIPATION OF THE NIGER DELTA (MEND), WHOSE ATTACKS HAVE CUT NIGERIAN OIL EXPORTS BY A QUARTER, THREATENED THIS WEEK TO CARRY OUT ATTACKS ON OIL INDUSTRY TARGETS AND INDIVIDUALS. THEY HAVE BOMBED OIL FACILITIES, KIDNAPPED SEVERAL FOREIGN OIL WORKERS AND RECENTLY EMBARKED ON A CAR BOMBING CAMPAIGN. HOWEVER, THEY TREATED AMERICAN OIL WORKERS WELL DURING THE KIDNAPPINGS, AND THE PORT HARCOURT KILLING DID NOT BEAR ANY SIMILARITY TO PREVIOUS MEND ATTACKS. A DIPLOMAT SAID: "IT LOOKS LIKE A TARGETED ATTACK ON THAT INDIVIDUAL, BUT MY GUESS IS THAT IT WAS A PRIVATE MATTER." --MORE
