Unidentified gunmen ambushed a vehicle carrying staff from the Chinese state-owned oil major CNPC near Niger’s Agadem oil field, killing two local security guards and taking two of the Chinese nationals hostage.
The incident, according to French news reports, took place sometime last weekend, but specific details of where and precisely when are still not available.
According to several sources, this attack would be an act of revenge. On January 30, four gold miners were reportedly assassinated by the Nigerian army, causing a resurgence of tension in the region.
Since the fall of President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023, CNPC and its various sites in the country, including the pipeline linking Agadem to the port of Seme in Benin, have become frequent targets of armed groups reputedly close to the former president.
In January 2025, CNPC and the Niger junta signed a cooperation agreement to secure the pipeline, which had already had to be shut down for security reasons!
