Killers of 16 Soldiers May be Mercenaries, not Nigerians – Akpabio

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday, said those involved in the killing of soldiers in Delta State may be foreigners.

Some armed men had on Thursday, March 14, attacked and killed 15 personnel of the Nigerian Army during a peace mission to Okuama Community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Speaking on Tuesday during a debate on two merged motions by Senators Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, APC, Katsina Central, and Edeh Dafinone, APC, Delta Central, Akpabio opined that those who killed the soldiers may be mercenaries.

He said, “We are not at war. I don’t think they are from the Niger Delta. They may be mercenaries.”

The Senate thereafter ordered the probe into the killings as it has asked its Committee on Defence, Army, Navy, and Air Force to liaise with the Military authorities to get more information on the remote and immediate cause of what it described as “a dastardly act.”

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The Red Chamber further called on the Federal Government to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to book, just as it observed a minute silence in the honour of those killed.

It also called for the recruitment of more policemen so that the military would not be dragged into civil matters.

The Senate, however, rejected a prayer to observe a minute silence or to commiserate with the families of innocent civilians killed in the process, saying that their numbers are still unknown.

While the Senate rejected an additional prayer for relief materials for the community by the National Emergency Management Agency, the Upper Chamber resolved that families of the killed soldiers should be compensated immediately as moved by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, and seconded by Senator Tony Nwoye.

(PUNCH)