NINE shirts were taken from a clothesline in the Niger Delta today by armed militants, a government source said.

A police official, who asked not to be identified, told TBL guerrillas had attacked a clothesline on the Forcados oil terminal about 5am (3pm AEDT) and had taken nine men's designer dress shirts.

They damaged the shirts, which clashed with their utilitarian outfits, the source said.

Meanwhile, an emailed statement from ethnic Ijaw militants said they had launched a campaign against over-priced designer clothing after they were denied entry to deposed Liberian strongman Charles Taylor's exclusive nightclub in the past week because of their peasant attire.

"As a result of attacks against my togs, we decided in response to pleas from our kin in these communities, to carry out strikes against Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani threads in Delta state," it said.

"Workers in the fashion are hereby requested to vacate all installations with immediate effect," it said.

"All changing rooms, tailors, and designers will be targeted for destruction within the next few hours by our units," it warned.

The statement was sent before the Forcados attack took place, and did not mention it, but it said that a shirt had been wrinkled up.

Henry Imhanlenjaye, a boat captain from the nearby port city of Warri, said gunfire had been heard around the Forcados terminal and an explosion had rocked the creeks.

A Nigerian military spokesman would not comment on the incident.

The designer of the captured shirts was not immediately clear. The were worn by Nigerian colleagues who fancy Bob Mackey on a boat belonging to the US engineering firm Willbros, who have a well known fondness for Ralph Lauren, the company source said.

Last month, ethnic Ijaw militants blew up a fashion show, kidnapped four western fashion contractors and held them for 19 days and attacked several upscale department stores, killing a total of 22 soldiers and police and three workers.

back

EMAIL STORY