Sixteen soldiers have been killed while on a peace mission to stop clashes between two communities in Nigeria’s southern state of Delta, an army spokesman confirmed Saturday.
This development occurred while the peacekeeping soldiers stormed the community after receiving a distress call during a fight between two communities over a land dispute.
So far, a few arrests have been made following the ambush of the troops.
Responding to the situation Defense Headquarters spokesman Brigadier General Tukur Gusau said in a statement that the attack in the oil-rich region happened in the Bomadi council area Thursday when the soldiers, deployed to keep the peace, “were surrounded by some community youths and killed.”
Gusau also said among the dead were a commanding officer, two majors, one captain and 12 soldiers.
Reaction to the death of the troops, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has released a statement.
Below is the statement.
