Nigerian mlitary denies it killed civilians in village raids

Men in military uniform raided four villages in eastern Nigeria, razing homes and gunning down scores of civilians, news reports said today.

Benue state radio estimated 100 people were killed.

The attackers were apparently searching for gunmen who kidnapped and killed 19 soldiers earlier this month in eastern Benue state, where villagers have been waging a decade-long ethnic feud.

Defence officials denied any involvement in the raids.

Attackers travelling in armoured personnel carriers rounded up civilians in Gbejir village on Monday, according to witnesses quoted by Vanguard and Punch newspapers.

Women and children were separated from the group before the attackers opened fire on the men in a public square, the papers said.

The attacks, which continued into Tuesday, spread to Vaase, Anyiin and Iorja villages, close to where the mutilated bodies of 19 soldiers were found on October 12.

As word of the attacks spread, frightened villagers grabbed what they could and fled into the bush.

State officials set up a temporary camp at Agasha, near the state capital of Makurdi, where they said about 200,000 people were seeking refuge today.

Tens of thousands more people were believed stranded in the bush, officials said.

‘‘There is an alarming refugee situation in Benue state, which is beyond the capability of the state government,’’ said Shima Ayaty, a member of the state refugee commission.

‘We are therefore appealing to international organisations to assist.’’

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is riven with ethnic, religious and political divides that frequently flare into violence. Isolated clashes can rage for days before subsiding.

Local officials have speculated the 19 dead soldiers deployed earlier this year to police the conflict were mistaken for ethnic combatants, who frequently wear military uniform.

The latest attacks came hours after President Olusegun Obasanjo vowed to arrest and punish those responsible for the soldiers’ deaths at a funeral for the men in Abuja.

Defence officials, however, said the military was not responsible for the attacks.

‘‘We are supposed to protect Nigerians from any form of aggression, so I can assure you that the commander in chief has not issued instructions to go to any section of the country, or kill innocent civilians,’’ defence spokesman Col Ganiyu Adewule said.

‘‘The military authorities intend to use the police to carry out the arrest of those responsible for the killing of 19 soldiers.’’

AP