Rivers Amnesty: Suspected cult leader declared wanted by state govt

*Govt. laments set back in programme as suspected criminal gangs submit poor quality weapons

In its determined effort to rid Rivers State of criminal elements, the state government has declared a suspected cult leader, Samuel Ogoso, alias “Supreme” wanted for refusing to surrender his weapons and embrace the fresh amnesty window offered by Governor Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike.

Dismayed by the refusal of Ogoso to embrace the amnesty programme, the chairman of the Amnesty Programme and Special Adviser to the governor on Amnesty, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, asked security agencies to arrest him (Ogoso) at the end of the Wednesday deadline given to criminals in the state to surrender their weapons.

The suspected cult leader, some members of his cult group, and some members of other criminal gangs had failed to appear on Tuesday, April 18, before the amnesty committee, at Eleme Local Council Secretariat, to submit their weapons during the disarmament exercise for repentant cultists.

The Committee Chairman had at the expiration of the deadline expressed dismay at the poor quality of weapons that were submitted by two groups, lamenting: “What is before us here from these two groups is not commensurate with the volume of weapons that the security agencies know that is available to cultists and criminals in this local government.”

He, therefore, charged Area commanders, Department of State Security, DSS to track him down and arrest him. “We are giving him up to 9am, on Wednesday, April 19, to surrender his weapons. He will be declared wanted if he fails to comply. Please, ‘Supreme’ must be made to submit all arms and ammunitions in his custody. He is not above the law. And he must comply.

“If he fails to turn himself in to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, of Ogale, Eleme, by 9am, Wednesday, April 19, our hands and our legs will not be there for him.”

The chairman of the amnesty programme, however, commended the youths that submitted their arms for amnesty.
In his speech at the ceremony, the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of Gokana Local Governent, Hon. Obaribmate Ollor, promised to work with the security agencies to put an end to criminal activities in the area and ensure that peace returned to Eleme.

According to him, “This amnesty programme is a programme of the leadership of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State. We hope the process will put an end to all forms of gansterism and criminality in our area. All those who refuse to identify and submit their arms and ammunitions to the amnesty committee will be treated as criminals.

Mr. Ollor continued: “This is the time for all sons and daughters of Eleme to come together. This is a time for us to forgive. This is time for unity. I thank God that this is happening in Eleme. This is the time to allow peace to come into our lives.

“It is my wish and hope that after this disarmament exercise, all our youths who embrace amnesty will begin to think positively on how they will be meaningfully engaged. It is our hope that all those who embrace the amnesty will be constructively engaged.”

On the poor quality of weapons submitted at Gokana, Hon. Chinda fumed: “What is this? Disused GPMG from Lewe, not working. Used pellets from Bomu, Tai, empty shell, nothing to show. We sent people to Bomu, they came back to say that the community have not directed them to submit arms. Yet, the traditional ruler said that there were no arms in Bomu. What sort of self-deceit is this?

“I am really disappointed with what they submitted. They have deliberately refused to submit their genuine arms and ammunition. We will not grant amnesty to cultists and members of criminal gangs in Gokana local government area.

The chairman declared: “We are giving you all one week of grace to submit your arms and ammunition to the amnesty committee. By next week we will come back. If you refuse to submit your arms, we will also declare you wanted. We know you, we know your leaders.
Recall that on Tuesday, repentant criminals in Eleme submitted three AK-47 rifles, four locally made guns, five locally made pistols, four wraps of dynamites and 120 rounds of ammunition to the amnesty committee.

However, on Wednesday, April 19, members of cult groups and criminal gangs in Gokana Local Government Area, refused to submit genuine weapons to the amnesty committee at the council secretariat, Kpor, by over 3, 000 cultists and members of criminal gangs who came out for the disarmament programme.