Nigeria’s torrid troubles show no sign of abating with the news that gunmen attacked an Agip oil terminal, killing one person and taking four foreigners hostage. Italy’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that that three Italians and one Lebanese national were kidnapped.

Agip officials said oil exports were not affected, and the Italian Foreign Ministry said it hoped the captives “could soon be freed without undertaking any action that could put them in danger of getting hurt”.

You could argue that the policy of putting them in danger has already taken place – it’s 50 years of brutal oil exploitation by the foreign oil multinationals.