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.”