Nigerian military torches squatter neighborhood

Here's an ugly story, courtesy of Human Rights Watch: The Nigerian miliary went on a rampage on August 24th and torched the Aker Base squatter neighborhood of Port Harcourt. The soldiers, acting in response to the killing of an army sergeant during the kidnapping of an Italian who worked in the nearby oil compound by armed militants, carried cannisters of gasoline and doused homes and businesses before setting them ablaze, residents said. Human Rights Watch says the soldiers and the Nigerian government must be held acountable for the unprovoked devastation of the community.