At least five killed during ambush in Nigeria's oil region

Gunmen ambushed and killed four soldiers and a civilian in Nigeria's oil-rich south, local sources said Wednesday, breaking months of uneasy calm after unrest over the distribution of the country's oil revenues.

Armed men ambushed the military contingent in the Ekeremor waterways area of Bayelsa State as they returned from an assignment in the Letugbene community on Monday.

The gunmen, who outnumbered the soldiers, forced the servicemen to surrender, marched them to a creek, executed them and stole their weapons and military gear.

A civilian boat driver with the military detachment attempted to escape but was also shot and killed by the attackers.

Nigeria's oil-rich south and southeast had been ravaged by violence orchestrated by groups seeking to force the government to more evenly share petroleum revenues with local residents.

But violence had fallen away sharply in recent months after Vice President Yemi Osinbajo led negotiations with armed groups that reduced the frequency of attacks on oil production facilities that had cut output and hammered earnings in 2016.

Tare Porri, a local youth leader, confirmed the killings.

"(The attack) was bizarre and unprovoked," said Porri, chairman of the Central Zone of Ijaw Youths Council.

"Four military officers were killed in cold blood alongside a civilian. Military officers went to Letugbene community and on their way back, some persons accosted them and killed all of them," he said.

"Only one of them escaped. The military, yesterday morning, retaliated, invaded the communities and burnt down houses. The operations are still ongoing and it is spreading to other communities," Porri added.

Security forces targeted 

A senior security official confirmed the incident and denounced the increased level of violence against security forces.

"Security operatives are now endangered species. It is unacceptable the way security officials deployed to Niger Delta are killed without provocation by people they dedicated their lives to protect," said the source, who declined to be identified.

"In Bayelsa, policemen, civil defenders and soldiers are constantly killed. It is barbaric."

There was no immediate response from the military joint task force responsible for security in the region.

UK pledges funds 

Britain will give Nigeria aid worth $260 million (£200 million)  over five years to help it cope with the brutal insurgency being waged by Boko Haram militant group, the foreign ministry in London said on Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Boris Johnson visited Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria's northeast Borno State and epicentre of the Boko Haram organisation, to meet some of those involved in the fight.

The militant group has increasingly used child suicide bombers and targeted civilians in its eight-year insurgency which has left at least 20,000 dead and displaced more than 2.6 million.

The $260 million will help supply food to 1.5 million people facing famine as a result of the bloody insurgency, while providing treatment for 120,000 children at risk of malnutrition and assisting 100,000 children with education needs.

British military teams will also continue to help prepare Abuja's security forces for counter-insurgency operations, having already helped to train 28,500 Nigerian personnel.

US sells Nigeria arms 

The Pentagon has notified the US Congress of the sale to Nigeria of 12 Super Tucano A-29 planes and weapons worth $593 million, which the West African country wants for its fight against Boko Haram.

The Federal Register on Monday published the August 2 notification from the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The sale includes thousands of bombs and rockets and was originally agreed by former President Barack Obama's administration.

The Super Tucano A-29, an agile, propeller-driven plane with reconnaissance and surveillance as well as attack capabilities, is made by Brazil's Embraer. 

A second production line is in Florida, in a partnership between Embraer and privately held Sierra Nevada Corp of Sparks, Nevada.

The Super Tucano costs more than $10 million each and the price can go much higher depending on the configuration. 

The Obama administration delayed the deal after incidents including the Nigerian Air Force's bombing of a refugee camp in January that killed 90 to 170 civilians.

President Donald Trump has said he plans to go ahead with foreign defense sales delayed under Obama by human rights concerns.