Two South African hostages freed in Nigeria

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria (Reuters) - Two South African oil workers were released by their Nigerian kidnappers on Tuesday, a military spokesman said, a week after their vessel was hijacked in the restive Niger Delta.

Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, spokesman for the military task force in Rivers state, said the two hostages were released late on Tuesday.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, which has declared an "oil war" against oil companies and security forces, said on Monday it would release the pair as a goodwill gesture towards the South African government.

The two South Africans, along with two Britons, a Ukrainian and 22 Nigerians were kidnapped after their oil supply vessel was hijacked by gunmen in the delta last Tuesday.

MEND, responsible for attacks that have cut a fifth of the OPEC member's oil output since early 2006, said it had rescued the 27 hostages from their captors on Friday and taken them to an undisclosed camp in the delta on Saturday. (Reporting by Austin Ekeinde; Writing by Randy Fabi)