Senate President Akpabio maintains that those responsible for the brutal murders of sixteen military personnel in Okuama are not from the Niger Delta region.
In response to Senator Dafinone’s motion calling for relief and assistance to the Okuama community, Senate President Akpabio stressed that the perpetrators of the murders were not from the Niger Delta region.
Over the weekend, a number of homes in Okuama were destroyed in a series of arsons, and reports indicate that a number of people were killed in the violence.
In response to Senator Dafinone’s motion, Senate President Akpabio urged caution and advised against jumping to conclusions before a thorough investigation is conducted.
Akpabio stated: ‘’I don’t want you to conclude. I don’t believe these people are from the Niger Delta – those who did the k!llings. We respect men and women in uniform, that is 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 this crime because I don’t think these people are Niger Deltans.
“We are not at war. Even in the face of war, to 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. I think the first point should be that we should first establish the culprits who committed this crime. We must take it seriously. Supposing they are not from Niger Delta? Supposing they are not even Nigerians? And we now come and talk about giving relief materials to …people should pay for the consequences of their crime. I will not support relief material’’