The alleged mastermind of the New Year day killing in Rivers State has been killed.
The suspect Prince Igwedibia who was also known as Don Wani was killed on Saturday evening in a joint operation by the State Security Service and the Army, a source told the News Agency of Nigeria.
In a statement released on Sunday, an army spokesperson, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, said the suspect relocated to Enugu State after killing 23 people in cold blood when they were returning from a church in Omoku, Rivers State on New Year Day.
The death so shook the nation and President Muhammadu Buhari ordered an investigation to identify and punish those who were involved.
In the statement, Iliyasy noted that the suspect was already planning another attack on Omoku even while in Enugu. He said the suspect was shot and killed while trying to escape during the weekend. He also extended condolences to the families of those killed by the suspect.
Read the full statement.
“The authorities of 6 Division Nigerian Army Port Harcourt wish to inform the peace-loving people of Omoku in ONELGA in particular, Rivers State and indeed the entire good people of Niger Delta in general that the notorious cult leader, kidnap kingpin and mass murderer Don Wani is dead.“Recall that in the early hours of Monday 20th November 2017, troops of 6 Division Nigerian Army acting on credible information from some patriotic members of the public raided the evil Don Wani enclave in Omoku, ONELGA Rivers State where shocking discoveries of assorted weapons, dynamite, bags of suspected cannabis, full military camouflage uniforms, military boots, military communication radios, 10 human skulls and human bones were discovered. Additionally, in continuation of the operation on Tuesday 21st November 2017, the troops also exhumed decomposing bodies of some of his victims in his shrine in the glaring eyes of the media who were invited to witness first hand.“Perhaps not satisfied with the numerous lives of innocent citizens he took, Don Wani 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 1:30 am 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 Wani was already perfecting plans to wrought 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. However, 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 combined team were closing in on his residence, Don Wani, 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 2 who sustained gunshot wounds eventually died while being evacuated for medical attention.“The remains of Don Wani and his cohorts were brought back to Port Harcourt Rivers State by the combined team and handed over to the Rivers State Police Command for further action.“To this end, the authorities of 6 Division Nigerian Army Port Harcourt wishes to use this opportunity to extend their condolences to the families of all the victims of the evil Don Wani and his gang. We also wish to solicit your further cooperation in volunteering 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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