ABUJA - Nigeria’s security forces have recovered the bodies of 11 of the 12 policemen who were ambushed in the oil-rich Niger Delta last week, Police have said.

Some of the bodies had been mutilated and burnt beyond recognition, AFP news agency reported.

Last week, a militant group said it would resume attacks after its leader, Henry Okah, was jailed for a bombing campaign in 2010.

The oil-rich region is vital to Nigeria’s economy.

However, many people are poor, fuelling resentment towards the national government and oil companies.

At the weekend, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said it had ambushed a Police boat in the creeks and waterways of Bayelsa state, killing the Policemen.

Police spokesperson Alex Akhigbe said 11 bodies had been recovered, while one was still unaccounted for. 

The bodies were transported by boat to the regional capital, Yenagoa, while relatives waited at a morgue, Nigeria’s Vanguard reported.

Police deny the attack was linked to the jailing of Okah.

Agencies