Index to Nigerian Newspapers

Civil society organizations and a security expert have criticized Senate President Godswill Akpabio for linking the killings of 16 military personnel in Delta State to foreign mercenaries. The troops were killed while on a peace mission to the warring communities of Okuoma and Okoloba. Akpabio spoke during plenary when the Senate resolved to constitute a committee to unravel the circumstances behind the military personnel's killings. He urged a thorough investigation to determine whether the perpetrators were mercenaries outside Nigeria.Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Transparency International-Nigeria (TI-Nigeria), criticized Akpabio's comments, stating that a criminal is a criminal regardless of their origin. The Executive Director of the CLEEN Foundation, Gad Peter, said political leaders should be careful about their comments "after incidents or crimes have taken place."
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, Ahmad Lawan, described the soldiers' killings as an assault on security and stability of the Niger Delta region. He urged security agencies to investigate the killings, bring the perpetrators to justice, and restore peace and order in the area.