The soldiers were tasked with stopping the conflict between two communities in the Bomadi region.
Sixteen Nigerian soldiers were killed on a mission to stop clashes between two communities in the southern state of Delta, an army spokesman said.
Troops from the 181 Amphibious Battalion deployed in the Bomadi region had responded to the conflict in the Okuoma community when they were killed on Thursday, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau said in a statement on Saturday.
“The reinforcement team led by the commander was also attacked, resulting in the death of the commander, two majors, a captain and 12 soldiers,” he said.
The defense chief has also ordered an immediate investigation and the arrest of those involved, according to Gusau.
“So far, some arrests have been made while steps are being taken [are] at the scene to unravel the motive behind the attack,” he added.
In many communities in Delta State there are frequent, sometimes deadly, clashes over land or compensation for oil spills by energy companies.
Furthermore, the conflict has also continued to affect the northern and central regions of Nigeria, where armed groups are active and government forces have been accused of committing abuses.
Earlier this year, at least 30 people were killed in fresh violence in central Nigeria's Plateau state, where clashes have broken out for years between Muslim herdsmen and Christian farming communities.
The state is located in the Middle Belt, a region seen as the dividing line between Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south. Intercommunal violence has been common in the region, which is home to dozens of ethnic minorities, such as the Mwaghavul.
Clashes in the region and the northwest have their roots in communal tensions over land between nomadic herders and indigenous farmers, but are exacerbated by the effects of climate change and population growth in the region.
