Seamen Kidnapped By Militants Sue Employer

HOUSTON (CN) – Four oil exploration seamen were taken hostage off the coast of Nigeria by armed militants who forcibly boarded their barge, took them ashore and held them captive in the jungle for 22 days, according to a lawsuit filed in Harris County Court.    The militants, believed to be members of the Niger Delta Freedom Fighters, repeatedly threatened to kill plaintiffs **Kevin Faller , **Christopher Gay , **Larry Plake and **Michael Roussel , the lawsuit states. The men were rescued when members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta invaded the NDFF den and freed the hostages.     Plaintiffs are suing their employers – **Global Industries Ltd. , **Global Offshore International Ltd. , **Chevron Corp. and Chevron Nigeria Limited – for failure to maintain a safe work environment. See [complaint](http://www.courthousenews.com/2007/10/25/Africa kidnapping.pdf).