Nigeria: March 9, 2004

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Gunfire broke out in the Delta town of Warri. Soldiers and members of local Ijaw gangs apparently had a dispute over drugs some soldiers had bought, but refused to pay for. Things escalated into a major fire fight that left as over 20 dead and many more wounded.  Police arrested 79 people. Thousands of troops and police have been sent to the oil rich Delta region to pacify the tribe based criminal gangs. But discipline among the soldiers is often lax, leading to problems with drunkenness, drug use and violence against civilians.