Three suspects have been arrested over their alleged involvement in last week’s dastardly killings of 17 officers and men of 181 Amphibious Battalion, Nigerian Army, Okuama in Delta State.
The suspects were reportedly arrested in Port Harcourt on Tuesday and taken to Army headquarters, Asaba.
Meanwhile, the Senate has begun an investigation into the killing of the soldiers and directed its committees on Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force to collaborate with the military authorities during the investigation.
Speaking during the debate on the consolidation of two motions by Sen. Ede Dafinone (APC, Delta Central), and Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua (APC, Katsina Central) and ), on the killings, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio introduced a new twist to the crisis, saying he suspected that the culprits could be mercenaries.
He noted: “I don’t want you to conclude, I do not believe that these people are from Niger Delta.
“Because we respect men and women in uniform, I am saying your additional prayer should be to carry out a thorough investigation to know whether these people are mercenaries from outside Niger Delta who came to commit this crime because I don’t think these people are Niger Deltans.
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“We are not at war to lose such several personnel. No community will go to the extent of doing this kind of thing. I don’t think they are from Niger Delta.
“So, I think the first point is that we should first establish the culprits who committed this crime and we must take this seriously. Supposing they are not from Niger Delta, supposing they are not even Nigerians and we now come and be giving relief materials to.
“People should bear the consequences of their characters, we will not support relief materials.”
However, the House of Representatives has also mandated the Armed Forces of Nigeria to carry out a holistic investigation into the circumstances that led to the gruesome killings of the soldiers.
