The Police have arrested a leading member of the notorious gang that killed worshippers on New Year day in Omoku, Rivers State.
The leader of the murderous gang is said to be one Don Wanny.
Another leading member of the gang, Desmond Okotube, after shedding innocent blood on January 1 in Rivers State, had fled to Abuja hoping to evade justice. But it took the long arm of the law eight days to smoke him out of hiding.
Following the killings and the public outcry, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, had set up a specialpPolice joint investigation team comprising the IGP-Intelligence Response Team, Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, Force Department of Operations and the Rivers State Police Command to immediately fish out those behind the killings and bring them to Justice.
The IGP-Intelligence Response Team attached to the Joint Police Special Investigation Team engaged some of the suspects in their hideouts in Awara Forest boundary between Imo and Rivers State, the shoot-out lasting several hours resulted in the death of six (6) of the suspects while others escaped with gunshot injuries to other locations in Rivers, Delta, Imo and Bayelsa States and the Police Teams are currently on their trail.
The IGP-Intelligence Response Team working on an actionable intelligence further identified Desmond Okotubo who escaped on January 3 to Abuja after a shoot-out with the Police Team at a location in Imo State. He was trailed to Mpape in Abuja where he was arrested after a serious resistance on January 9, 2018.
Okotubo, 32, and a native of Egbenma from Unelga LGA reportedly confessed to being one of the masterminds of the gang and actively participated in the killings of innocent people in Omoku on New Year day. He further gave details of how they planned the operation in Awara Town before they executed their plan.
Their motive for the attack is yet to be made public. However, Okotube has reportedly told the Police how their gang leader, Don Wanny, gathered them and briefed them on the night of January 31, 2017 regarding the operation of January 1, 2018, which was to attack and kill residents of Omoku town.
According to him, 30 of them armed with over 20 AK47 rifles crossed the river from Awara to Omoku forest and proceeded to Omoku town and opened fire on innocent citizens celebrating the New Year.
Meanwhile, Police say they are on the trail of the fleeing members of the gang.