He died shortly afterward in a hospital, American and Nigerian officials said.

But Nigerian officials say they do not want to escalate tensions by sending more troops to the region.

American and Nigerian officials have made a few arrests over the years, but many victims are too embarrassed to file reports.

Nigerian officials said the Oso project could earn $600 million annually.

Who could possibly believe that a Nigerian official wants to transfer billions of dollars into their bank account?

"We can't just ignore that issue, and it isn't going to go away," a Nigerian official said.

Top Nigerian economic officials say ruefully that, after all, their country would have been better off if they had never struck it so rich on oil.

You can talk to top Nigerian officials today who still think that Nigeria is an attractive place.

But a Nigerian official said Thursday that such a meeting would be premature.

Senior Nigerian officials, meanwhile, have begun to insist that their country has a proud record on human rights.