The government of Malta must be worried. In a sign of continued instability, the man with who a memorandum of understanding was signed for the purchase of cheap oil, was abducted by militia gunmen yesterday.

He was freed a few hours later after members of another militia stormed the complex where he was being held and secured his release. But with oil production in Libya being reduced to a trickle, the news is worrying. Is the government going to depend on purchasing oil that is already not guaranteed in terms of production, while at the same time risking that the ‘contract’ may be annulled at any moment if the Libyan PM is deposed of? Surely, the government must re-evaluate its plans. It would be foolhardy to depend on this ‘deal’, if Libya is not in a position to guarantee that the oil will be delivered. It would also be foolhardy for the government to depend on a deal signed with a man that was abducted. If Ali Zidan was deposed of, then his replacement could simply pull the plug on the deal. Libyans have already vented their anger over the decision to sell cheap oil to Malta and this was reflected in Libyan media reports.

Zidan's abduction reflected the weakness of Libya's government, which is virtually held hostage by powerful militias, many of which are made up of Islamic militants. Militants were angered by the US capture of the suspected militant, known as Abu Anas al-Libi, and accused the government of colluding in or allowing the raid.

In a sign of Libya's chaos, Zidan's seizure was depicted by various sources as either an "arrest" or an abduction — reflecting how interwoven militias are in Libya's fragmented power structure.

With the country's police and army in disarray, many are enlisted to serve in state security agencies, though their loyalty is more to their own commanders than to government officials and they have often intimidated or threatened officials. The militias are rooted in the brigades that fought in the uprising that toppled autocrat Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, and are often referred to as "revolutionaries."

A statement on the government's official website said Zidan was taken at dawn to an "unknown location for unknown reasons" by a group believed to be "revolutionaries" from a security agency known as the Anti-Crime Committee.

A government official said gunmen broke into the luxury hotel in downtown Tripoli where Zidan lives and abducted him and two of his guards. The two guards were beaten but later released. Hours after the abduction, the streets of Tripoli appeared normal, with the usual bustle of the morning rush hour traffic.

It was clear from the outset that Libya has a long and hard road to travel before it gains any semblance of law, order and democracy. Malta should invest in Libya and it should encourage reciprocal investment. But we must hedge our bets. The government insists that the oil deal will be advantageous, and it could yet be proved right. But we must have a ‘Plan B’. The situation is far too volatile to make it a safe bet.