The US consulate in Lagos warned today that a militant group in Nigeria's oil producing Niger Delta may have plans to attack oil facilities and hostage takings.
Such threats by Niger Delta groups are common and are not always carried out.
"The US government has learned that as of late October 2006, a militant Niger Delta group may have finalised its plans for a unified attack against oil facilities in the Niger Delta region," the consulate said in a circular.
US consulate in Lagos
"The attacks allegedly will be carried out sometime during the first week of November and will include 10 to 20 simultaneous bombings of land-based targets and a series of separate attacks on oil installations in which expatriate workers will be taken hostage," it said.
The circular said no details were available as to the specific targets of the planned attacks.
The consulate was elaborating on an earlier warning published yesterday, in which it alerted US citizens to the risk of further attacks and hostage takings in the delta.
The US consulate said on October 4th militants may target Bonny Island, a major oil and gas export hub, but no attack has materialised.
Armed attackers kidnapped an American and a Briton yesterday from an oil industry ship off the coast of Bayelsa state in the delta. The abduction was the latest in a wave of attacks on foreigners in the world's eighth-largest oil exporter.
Bryan Fogerty (39) from Galway was kidnapped from a bar in Nigeria in August and held for almost two weeks before being freed unharmed. It is understood that a ransom of some 35 million Nigerian naira (approximately €220,000) may have been paid to secure the release of Mr Fogerty and five other foreign workers taken hostage at the same time.