Nigeria oil unrest 'kills 1,000'

Violence in Nigeria's oil region left 1,000 people dead and cost $24bn (£16bn) last year, a report says, according to an official and activist.Ledum Mitee, chairman of the Niger Delta Presidential Technical Committee, says the figures only cover the first nine months of 2008.Militants and criminal gangs often attack oil installations, leading to reprisals from the military.The unrest has cut Nigeria's oil output by about 25% in recent years.Last week, President Umaru Yar'Adua said his government was considering granting amnesty to violent groups if they disarm.