The authorities of 6 Division Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, River State, has disclosed how security agencies tracked and finally killed notorious cult leader, kidnap kingpin and suspected mastermind of the New Year massacre in Omoku, Prince Igwedibia Johnson popularly called Don Waney, and two accomplices.
The two accomplices were Don Waney’s Second-in-Command, Ikechukwu Adiele, and another gang member, Lucky Ode.
Addressing journalists on Sunday at Bori Camp, Port Harcourt, while handing over the remains of the three dead suspects, theOutgoing General Officer Commanding (GOC), 6 Division Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Major-General Enobong Udoh, said the achievement was as a result of the directive from President Muhammadu Buhari that security agencies should fish out perpetrators of the New Year Day massacre in Omoku.
Udoh said: “You can recall in the first hours of the New Year Day, 1st January, 2018; there was a mayhem in which 22 innocent citizens of Omoku in Rivers State were heartlessly murdered while coming back from the crossover service. After that, you can also recall that there was a presidential directive from Mr. President that the heartless killers and the perpetrators of that mayhem must be hunted down and brought to book.
“This directive was conveyed in a mandate by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai to the 6 Division to collaborate with the DSS, the Police and all the other security agencies in Rivers State to hunt down and bring to book the perpetrators of that mayhem. This is simply what happened.
“We collaborated with other security agencies and we trailed Don Waney and some of his gang members to Enugu. They were initially hiding somewhere in Imo State; we later traced them down to Enugu, where he rented an apartment, lived with other people in the neighbourhood like normal people and from there, they were already planning another mayhem in Omoku.”
He said the agencies then collaborated with the General Officer Commanding, 82 Division, Enugu and were able to raid his hideout in Enugu.
According to him, “In the process, Don Waney was running away and our troops shot at them and these are the criminals as you can see. This is exactly how we were able to achieve this feat.
“I want to mention the fact that Don Waney, the leader of the criminal and murderous gang was the mastermind of that 1stJanuary massacre in Omoku. But that operation was physically led by Ikechukwu, his No.2, who is physically here right now. There is another person who I don’t want to mention that also led that operation. We will not rest until we bring all of them to book.”
Rivers State Commissioner, Ahmed Zaki, also said the success recorded by the agencies was as a result of cooperation.
He said: “The security agencies here are working hand in hand and you can see the outcome of synergy. The perpetrators have been gunned down after an exchange of gunfire. Security agencies are working round the clock to ensure that people live in peace and go about their lawful business without molestation. I can assure you. We will not rest till we get all the criminals arrested and brought to book.
“I want everybody to understand that crime does not pay. You can see a typical example today that the long arm of the law would always catch up with criminals like these. They think they are above the law, but you can see what has happened to them now.
“We are going everywhere and we are taking the battle to their hideouts and we will get them arrested. We have the profile of these criminals and I can assure you that we are taking the battle to their hideout. We know where most of them are hiding. We will arrest and prosecute them.”
Earlier in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, said the army and the DSS tracked the suspects to their hide-out in a neighbourhood of Enugu in Enugu State where they were gunned down in their bid to escape.
He said, “Perhaps not satisfied with the numerous lives of innocent citizens he took, Don Waney masterminded the despicable New Year day mayhem in Omoku in which he led his notorious gang of criminals to murder 23 peace loving citizens of Omoku when they were returning from Cross over Service at about 1:30am on Monday, 1st January 2018.
“Intense surveillance activities on him and his gang by the Department of State Services (DSS) Rivers State Command revealed that after committing these atrocities he relocated to a neighbourhood within Enugu Town in Enugu State where he rented an apartment and started living among unsuspecting neighbours within the community.
“From the relative safety of his newly-rented apartment, Don Waney was already perfecting plans to wrought (sic) another mayhem in Omoku in which he was to attack churches, schools, Army and Police locations and the residences of the generality of the already traumatized people of Omoku.”
He said following his successful geo-location to his new Enugu neighbourhood hideout by the DSS Rivers State Command, a combined team of troops of 82 Division Nigerian Army Enugu and personnel of DSS Rivers State Command raided the hideout to arrest him and his other accomplices.
“Incidentally on sensing that the combine team were closing in on his residence, Don Waney, his Second- in- Command (Ikechukwu Adiele) and another gang member (Lucky Ode) attempted to escape through the back exit of the apartment and were shot down by the eagle-eyed troops in the process. One of them died on the spot while the other two, who sustained gunshot wounds, eventually died while being evacuated for medical attention,” he said.
While condoling with the families of victims of the gangster, Iliyasu appealed to members of the public to always assist security agencies with useful information “to track down and arrest the remaining gang members so as to bring them to justice for a peaceful, prosperous and secured Omoku community, ONELGA, Rivers State and the entire Niger Delta region”.
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