A massacre has occurred in Baga, Nigeria, resulting in the deaths of 200 civilians. Soldiers reportedly responsible, though Nigeria's military denies the reports, according to the New York Times.
The soldiers doused homes with gasoline, setting them on fire as the residents tried to flee.
The massacre was the result of clashes in the northern part of the country, between the military and rebels. The number of people killed has also been denied by the Nigerian military, and some officials have blamed the deaths on the Islamist military group Boko Haram.
Senator Maina Maaji Lawan said that 288 civilians were killed in the massacre, a number more than six times that cited by the official estimate that was given by the military.
"I personally visited three graveyards in Baga and counted 228 graves where victims had been buried," Lawan said.
He also said that 4,000 homes were destroyed and that there is a danger of a humanitarian crisis, saying they are in need of external aid.
Chris Olukolade, the defense spokesman, told PM New Nigeria that the military hasn't ordered anyone arrested in connection with the massacre.
"This is indeed false in its entirety," said Olukolade, who said that there was no point during which the government or military officials would "order the arrest of any of its soldiers in connection with the incident in Baga."
"The loss of human lives should not be taken with levity or unnecessary sensationalism as some interest groups appear bent on doing," he said.
More than 100 soldiers have been mobilized after receiving intelligence that Boko Haram militants have moved to Baga, which is located along the shores of Lake Chad, according to Reuters. The militants have resisted the soldiers' advances with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, as well as improvised explosives.
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