Why Army raided notorious criminals, killed 9 gang members

Nine members of a dreaded criminal, kidnapper and cultist gang gang, Mr. Johnson Igwedibia, popularly known as Don Waney were last Wednesday night killed by security operatives in Omoku, headquarters of Ogba/Egbema /Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) in Rivers State.

In a reprisal attack for leading the Army to raid Don Waney’s hide-out, his gang members were said to have in the late hours of Wednesday night attacked operatives of the ONELGA Security Planning and Advisory Committee (OSPAC) in Omoku town. In a gun duel that ensued, nine of the gang members were killed while others escaped with various degrees of gunshot wounds.

Trouble began when Don Waney’s gang killed two OSPAC Operatives and an innocent civilian in Omoku and Okposi towns respectively, all in ONELGA last Sunday.
In response OSPAC, in collaboration with troops of the 6th Division of the Nigeria Army last Monday raided the criminal hideout and camps of the notorious gang leader, where, after an hour gun duel Don Waney was suspectedly killed while several of his gang members escaped with serious gunshot wounds. The gallant troops however arrested seven persons; including two ladies all suspected to be gang members in his palatial home in Aligwe, a suburb of Omoku town as well as discovered several skulls, skeletons and shallow graves.

Nevertheless, security operatives strongly believed that Don Waney was killed in the shoot-out and secured the services of divers to comb the waters of the Orashi River, their escape route with the hope that the corpse would float thereafter.

Jubilant crowd trooped out to the council headquarters when news of the death of the dreaded kingpin filtered into town. “Over 3000 people trooped out to the council headquarters. What they told us is that they shot him in the process when he wanted to escape, that he will not survive the gunshot wounds; that they have sent divers because he fell inside the water as he wanted to escape through that place. So, the following day we did not see anything, no result, no dead body. But they kept assuring us that he will float the following day. This is three days after and we have not seen any dead body,” said a reliable source which pleaded anonymity for security for security reasons.

The source added that “last night (Wednesday), his boys launched attack again against OSPAC and in the process nine of his boys were killed, no casually on the OSPAC side,” pointing out that the reprisal attack came on the heels of a security stakeholders meeting at the palace of the Oba of Ogba land, Eze-Oba Chukwumela Nnam Obi, where we learnt a decision to pull down his palatial mansion was taken.

The dreaded Don Waney, reputed for severing the heads of his victims embraced the Gov Wike Amnesty a year ago, purportedly surrendered his weapons and was made a chief in his community. He is also A notorious oil bunkerer, who is said to be in the payroll of many multinational oil companies operating in the area as well as influential politicians.
When contacted, the state police public relations officer, Nnamdi Omoni could not confirm the incident because, according to him he was yet to be briefed.

Memoye Oghu, Port Harcourt