The military in Nigeria has been accused of killing 1,000 civilians during an upsurge in operations against militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta. They bombarded the entire communities from the air, sea and land, said the Ijaw National Congress which represents the region's largest ethnic group. A Nigerian military spokesman dismissed the allegations as unfounded.
The army has freed 17 hostages, mostly foreigners, held by militants fighting for a greater share of oil revenues. But the military action has resulted in over a thousand deaths, because we dared to ask for our rights, said Victor Burubo, spokesman for the Ijaw National Congress. He called on the United Nations to intervene in a BBC interview. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) declared "all-out war" on the Nigerian government after an attack on one of its camps deep in the swamp lands on Friday.
