Killers of 16 soldiers in Delta may be mercenaries, says Akpabio

Five days after the tragic murder of Nigerian Army personnel in Delta State, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, says the culprits may be mercenaries, rather than people from the Niger Delta region.

Seventeen military personnel were murdered in Okuama, a community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State last week.

Days after the incident, Akpabio, who presided over a plenary session on Tuesday in Abuja, stated those responsible may be mercenaries. He said this during a debate on two merged motions by senators Abdulaziz Yar’Adua and Edeh Dafinone.

Dafinone who represents Delta Central, had raised a motion calling for relief and assistance to victims of the attack. But Akpabio interjected, telling the lawmaker not to conclude yet.

“I don’t want you to conclude. I don’t believe these people are from the Niger Delta – those who did the killings. With respect to men and women in uniform, that I why I am saying that your additional prayers should actually be ‘to carry out a thorough investigation to know whether these people were mercenaries from outside Niger Delta who came to commit,” he said.

“I don’t think these people are Niger Deltans. We are not at war. Even in a period of war [you do not] lose such number of personnel. No community will go to the extent of doing this kind of thing. I don’t think they are from Niger Delta.”

Worried by possible fear of reprisal by the military, coupled with the mounting tension since the gruesome killing, Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, had on the same day met President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Oborevwori says military authorities have assured him of the safety of residents of the community.

“I decided to come here to brief Mr President of all the things we have been doing to maintain peace. Mr President has assured me that he is in support of peace and we both condemn the killing of the officers and the soldiers because they were there on a peace mission,” he said after the meeting.

“What is happening now is something that we did not bargain for. But we want to assure everybody that there will be no more attacks on the villages.

“If there’s anyone that will that has happened in the past, there will be no attack. But we know that those who are culpable will be brought a book but innocent citizens will not be will not be attacked.”

President Tinubu who earlier condemned the killing, said the perpetrators, whom he described as “cowardly” must not go unpunished.