Senate President Goswill Akpabio said the people that killed 16 military officers last week might not be from the Niger Delta because the oil-producing people are peaceful and respect officers in uniform.
The senate president revealed this on Tuesday during a plenary after the Senate mandated its committees on Army, Defence, Air Force and Navy to investigate the March 14 killing of 16 Nigerian Army personnel in Okuama Community of Delta state.
In his remarks, Akpabio said: “I don’t want to conclude that these people are from Niger Delta because we respect men and women in uniform. That is why I am saying that your additional prayer should be to carry out a thorough investigation to know whether they were mercenaries outside Nigeria, who came in to commit this crime because I don’t think these people are from Niger Delta.”
“We are not at war. Even in the field of war, to lose such a number of personnel, no community will go to the extent of doing that kind of thing; I don’t think they are from Niger Delta. So I think the first point should be that we should establish the culprits who committed this crime.”
He said a panel would be saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that those involved in the killings were brought to justice.
This followed a point of order raised by Sen. Abdulaziz Yar’adua (APC- Katsina) during Tuesday’s plenary.
The motion was tagged: “The Killing of Nigerian Army Personnel in Okuama Community, Delta State and the Necessity for an Urgent Investigation.”
The upper chamber urged the Federal Government to ensure that those responsible for the heinous crime were identified and apprehended.
It added that they should be “brought to face the full consequences of their action through a fair and transparent legal process”.
Raising Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Rules, Yar’adua, who is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, described the incident as a serious threat to national security and the stability of the nation.
“The recent tragic incident in Okuama Community, Ughelli South LGA of Delta on Thursday, March 14 resulted in the loss of a commanding officer, 2 majors, a captain and 12 soldiers during a peace mission.
“This highlights a serious threat to national security and stability of the nation.
“The tragic incident underscores the urgent need for justice and accountability without resorting to retribution,” Yar’adua added.
Sen. Dafinone Edeh (APC-Delta) who seconded the motion, consoled the military high command and families of the slain soldiers.
In his contribution, Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin said what happened in Delta was despicable.
“It is inhuman and it is something that cannot be accepted.
”We need to commiserate with the Nigerian Armed Forces and indeed the entire nation, to condole the immediate families of the fallen heroes and the Nigerian military for what happened.
“It should be condemned, what happened is inhuman and no stone should be left in trying to find out the culprits who are responsible, and they must face justice, this should never happen again in this country,” Jibrin said.
Similarly, Sen. Ahmad Lawan said that the military needed support at all times not attacks, adding that “what happened in Delta was not an accident but well orchestrated to kill our men.”
He called on both the Executive and the Legislature to ensure better welfare for the military.
On his part, Sen. Seriake Dickson (PDP-Bayelsa) described the act as sad and dastardly and called for an inquiry to ascertain the totality of the facts of the matter.
