The suspected mastermind of the New Year attack at Omoku, Rivers State which left 23 persons dead, Don Waney, has been killed by security agencies.
Waney, a suspected militant leader and notorious kidnapper, was confirmed killed in a combined operation by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Army at a border town between Rivers and Imo.
A source said the incident happened at about 5 p.m. on Saturday.
The Rivers Director of DSS, Mr Tosin Ajayi, declined to make comments when contacted on the development.
Meanwhile, authorities of 6 Division Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt confirmed the death of kidnap kingpin in a statement made available to ChannelsTV.
The Nigerian Army said Waney’s enclave in Omoku, ONELGA Rivers State was earlier raided on November 20 where weapons, dynamites, bags of suspected cannabis, full military camouflage uniforms, military boots, military communication radios, 10 human skulls and human bones were discovered. The military also claimed it exhumed decomposing bodies at the enclave.
The statement signed by Deputy Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Aminu Iliyasu, said further that Waney after these criminal acts also went ahead to carry out an attack on New Year day in Omoku, killing 23 residents when they were returning from Crossover Service at about 1:30 a.m. on January 1, 2018.
He, however, relocated from Omoku community after he unleashed mayhem on the New Year day.
“Waney after the attack relocated to a neighbourhood within Enugu Town in Enugu State where he rented an apartment and started living among unsuspecting neighbours within the community.
“However, he was fished out of his new location by the DSS Rivers State Command and a combined team of troops of 82 Division Nigerian Army Enugu who raided the hideout to arrest him and his other accomplices,” the statement read in part.
The statement read further that, Waney, on sensing that the combined team were closing in on his residence attempted to escape.
He was however shot down by the troops in the process. His Second- in- Command, Ikechukwu Adiele, and another gang member, Lucky Ode, were also killed 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.
“The remains of Don Waney 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,” the statement said.
Authorities of 6 Division Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt called for further cooperation from the members of the public in volunteering useful information to track down and arrest the remaining gang members so as to bring them to justice.
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