The Nigerian military says it has no plans for collective punishment on a community where at least 16 soldiers and their commander were killed by a group of youth in the south of the country.
The killing of the military personnel in Bomadi area of state of Delta has sparked outrage in the country and fears that the army could take action against the community as a whole. Reports indicate some residents are fleeing for fear of the unknown.
The troops were in the area to intervene in communal conflict between Okuama and Okoloba communities when they were ambushed and ''murdered in cold blood by an armed youth gang of Okuama Community in the most gruesome, heartless and cruel manner,'' the army said in a statement on Monday night.
Fallen heroes
Nigerians have been paying tributes to the killed soldiers. The Nigerian military has revealed the identities of the slain personnel on social media, describing them as ''our fallen heroes''.
The attack on the military convoy took place on Thursday with the Nigerian President Bola Tinubu describing it as a ''direct attack on our nation'' and ordered the military to exercise ''full authority'' to bring the perpetrators to justice.
'Communally orchestrated'
It is not immediately clear why the soldiers were targeted while on a mission to wade into communal conflict. Some are also wondering how the youth overpowered the troops during the ambush.
The Niger-Delta region where the incident happened, has been infested with arms in the hands of civilians and organised armed groups due to years of violence by militants clamouring for a greater share of oil wealth produced in the region.
The military has decried a lack of cooperation by members of the community towards fishing out the killers of the troops and condemned the attack as a ''dastardly act''.
The alleged lack of help by the community members in identifying the killers was ''a clear indication that the murder of the troops was a communally orchestrated attack against legitimate forces,'' army spokesperson Major General Onyema Nwachukwu said in the statement.
Army assures community
The community members have not yet publicly responded to the army claims. The attack on the Nigerian troops has raised concern that the military might take action against the community members.
There have been calls on the military to exercise restraint and avoid harming innocent residents. The army says there is no cause for fears.
''While law-abiding citizens are assured that there will be no reprisal on the part of the troops, we enjoin all to go about their normal activities, even as ongoing efforts are scaled up to positively identify and isolate the criminals to account for their atrocious deeds,'' Major General Nwachukwu said.
Apart from militancy in the oil-rich Niger-Delta region, there have been frequent communal clashes over land or compensation for oil spills.
The Nigerian authorities have succeeded to a large extent in tackling communal violence and attacks on oil facilities in the region in recent years. This has helped to boost the country's oil output.
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