What You Need to Know:
The bodies of some members of Nigeria’s 181 Amphibious Battalion have been found in a river near the coastal community of Okuama bearing signs of mutilation.
Sixteen members of the Battalion, deployed to quell unrest between the Okuama and Okoloba communities in Delta State, were killed during an ambush on March 14th.
The Battalions Commanding Officer, two Majors, a Captain and twelve soldiers were killed, with the bodies of the Officer, the Majors and some of the soldiers being located in the river.
The whereabouts of the remaining soldiers’ bodies are currently unknown.
According to local papers, the government has moved heavy artillery into the area and has increased its military presence on the ground.
The Details:
Nigeria’s Channels Television has reported that the Okuama community was razed by unknown individuals on Sunday morning, with community members fleeing to the neighboring community of Ughelli. The Nigerian government stated the arson attack was not the work of its military and has promised to conduct a thorough investigation into the causes of the fire.
However, with the bodies of the Battalion members found beheaded, with some having had their hearts and intestines ripped out, community members allege that the razing is the work of soldiers deployed to patrol the community’s river banks.