Nigeria oil hub targeted in night attack - source

ABUJA, March 1 (Reuters) - Armed men torched a police building and several vehicles at the main jetty on Bonny Island, an oil and gas export hub in Nigeria's southern Niger Delta, a security expert working for an oil major said on Saturday.

Police spokesmen could not immediately be reached to comment on the report from the industry source, who said the raid took place in the middle of the night.

The report did not suggest that any oil and gas facilities had been damaged. Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile, Research) has an oil export terminal at Bonny and the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas company has its installations there.

"Armed men attacked and razed down the marine police building at the Bonny main jetty. Several vehicles were also torched," the security expert said.

Such attacks are frequent in the Niger Delta, home to Africa's biggest oil industry which produces 2.1 million barrels per day.

In some cases the attacks are carried out by politically motivated rebels pressing for greater control of oil revenues by impoverished local communities.

But many raids are the work of criminal gangs involved in extortion rackets, turf wars with rival gangs or revenge attacks sponsored by politicians against their opponents. (Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Caroline Drees)