Five days following the horrific deaths of Nigerian Army soldiers in Delta State, Senate President Godswill Akpabio has hinted that mercenaries, not residents of the Niger Delta, might be the culprits.
Last week, seventeen military servicemen were killed in Okuama, a town in Delta State’s Ughelli South Local Government Area.
Days after the event, Akpabio suggested that those in charge might be hired goons during a plenary session in Abuja on Tuesday. During a discussion on two combined motions by senators Abdulaziz Yar’Adua and Edeh Dafinone, he made this statement.
The representative for Delta Central, Dafinone, had made a motion asking for support and aid for the attack victims. But Akpabio stepped in and told the legislator not to draw any conclusions just 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.”
Delta Gov Meets Tinubu
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.”
Tinubu Pledges Punishment
President Tinubu who earlier condemned the killing, said the perpetrators, whom he described as “cowardly” must not go unpunished.
Tinubu in a message he released Sunday evening, said the killing is “unprovoked” and “dreadful”.
“As the Commander-in-Chief, I join all well-meaning Nigerians and the men and women of our armed forces to mourn and express my profound grief over the needless death of our gallant soldiers,” Tinubu said.
“I extend my profound condolences to the families of these fallen soldiers, their colleagues, and their loved ones. The military high command is already responding to this incident. The cowardly offenders responsible for this heinous crime will not go unpunished.”
DHQ Releases Victims’ List
On Monday, the Defence Headquarters released the list of 17 military personnel killed in an attack in Delta State.
In its post on X, it gave their names as AH Ali, a lieutenant colonel. The two majors are SD Shafa and DE Obi while the army captain is U Zakari. The army also named the other 13 slain soldiers.