Japan arrests U.S. sailor for murder

By Yoko Kubota

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese police arrested on Thursday a Nigerian man in the U.S. navy on suspicion of murdering and robbing a taxi driver last month, the latest case of crime linked to U.S. military bases in the country.

Japanese and U.S. officials, however, moved swiftly to limit any diplomatic fallout, and Japan's top government spokesman said the bilateral alliance would not be affected by such cases.

Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said he hoped it would not affect the planned deployment of a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Japan, a move opposed by some local groups.

Nearly 50,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Japan under the U.S.-Japan security alliance, a pillar of Tokyo's diplomacy, but friction with local communities often occurs because of concern about crime, accidents and noise.

Police in Kanagawa, near Tokyo, identified the arrested sailor as 22-year-old Olatunbosun Ugbogu.

Ugbogu, a Nigerian national, had been in U.S. military custody on a charge of desertion and was handed over to Japanese police by agreement with U.S. authorities. A small percentage of U.S. military personnel is made up of non-U.S. citizens.

Rear Admiral James Kelly, the top U.S. naval commander in Japan, bowed and apologized to the mayor of Yokosuka City, where the U.S. navy is headquartered. U.S. ambassador Thomas Schieffer expressed condolences and regret.

"I want to express to you the heartfelt regret that all of us feel. This was a tragic incident," Schieffer told Komura.