One of the leading rights group in the Niger Delta has described the abduction of a British toddler as a disturbing dimension to the crisis in the region. The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, or MOSOP, says the action signals a total breakdown of mediation efforts and opens the way for an escalation of the crisis.

Ledum Mitee is President of MOSOP. He says the abduction will worsen the situation in the Niger Delta.

 “This is quite some shocking development.  It appears that we have crossed all the fear thresholds in this dimension and one hopes that it will now make every person…think that this is the right time to confront the issues head on because there has never been any serious effort at dealing with this menace of hostage taking,” he says.

He says that the latest abduction is not a surprise. “ I see this as a natural progression of a bad, deteriorating situation which calls for concerted efforts in dealing with (it). Because they have exhausted kidnapping expatriate men, they went to women, they have gone to Nigerian women, they have gone to Nigerian kids, so this follows up and I think this is a very sad situation”.