Lagos - The Nigerian President, Mr Olusegun Obasanjo, has come under fire from human rights groups for defending soldiers who went on a killing rampage last week and left some 200 civilians dead in central Nigeria.
Mr Obasanjo said that trigger-happy youths started shooting first, and that soldiers acted in self defence.
The statement showed "that he is either disconnected from the mainstream of Nigeria or that he has lost control of the army," said Mr Abdul Oroh, the executive director of the Civil Liberties Organisation.