Rivers as Home of Deadly Cultists

From the kidnap kingpins and cultists, Don Waney, Bobosky, and 32 others on whose information for their arrest the Rivers State government had offered N870 million as reward, to the most recent case of 2-Baba, on whose arrest the state offered another N100 million bounty, the state has continued to breed deadly cultists backed by politicians. Ejiofor Alike reports that the state government only declares these criminals wanted when they commit heinous crimes that embarrass the state and the country

Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Emeka Nwonyi, had on Monday confirmed what had always been known that prominent politicians were behind the deadly criminal gangs terrorising the state.

Speaking during a solidarity protest by a human rights advocate, Charles Jaja, at the headquarters of the state Police Command in Port Harcourt, the commissioner vowed that such politicians must be identified and prosecuted.

The solidarity visit by the rights advocate was in protest to the killing of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ahoada Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, SP Bako Angbashim, who was beheaded by a dangerous cult group led by one Gift David Okpara Okpolowu, a.k.a 2-Baba in Odiemudie community of the LGA.

Since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, Rivers State has become a fertile ground for breeding deadly cultists who enjoy the strong backing of politicians.

Security reports suggest that some of these cultists who are used as thugs during elections, also transform to militant leaders and masquerade as fighters for the emancipation of the oil-producing region to engage in oil theft, pipeline vandalism and other forms of criminalities.

In several videos that went viral, these criminals and their leaders were seen wearing police uniforms and military camouflage, wielding AK-47 rifles and threatening political leaders and ethnic groups who were opposed to the ambition of their politician-sponsors.

They engage in criminal acts unchallenged so long as they work for the powers-that-be.

Their assignment is to intimidate and kill political opponents and perpetrate electoral violence during elections to ensure the victory of their sponsors.

Ahead of the 2023 general election, these cultists were on hand to make the state unsafe for certain political parties and their candidates to organise rallies.

Heavy gunshots and other acts of violence used to disrupt a visit by members of two major political parties at the INEC office, in Port Harcourt, to demand for the Certified True Copies (CTC) of the March 18 election result sheets, shortly after the recent general election, were the hallmarks of these deadly cultists.

Records have shown that the state government only declares the leaders of these gangs wanted when they commit heinous crimes that embarrass the state and the country.

Apparently miffed by such embarrassment, the state government had offered a N200 million bounty for the arrest of the kidnap kingpin and cultist, Don Waney, who was linked with the killing of 23 people in Omoku area of the state on January 1, 2018.

Few days later, former Governor Nyesom Wike had in a state broadcast, declared 32 cultists in 12 local government areas of the state wanted with a bounty of N20 million each (totalling N640 million) for information that could lead to their arrest.

Wike’s state broadcast was in reaction to the killing of Waney, whose real name was Johnson Igwedibia, at a hideout in Enugu by the military.

In August 2019, Wike also promised a N30 million reward for any useful information that would lead to the arrest of another kidnap kingpin and cultist, Honest Digbara, a.ka. Bobosky.

Bobosky, who was the leader of a notorious criminal gang in Gokana LGA of the state, was among the suspects that killed a director with the state government during the Choba crisis.

Luck ran out on him in September 2020 when he died from gunshot wounds sustained in a gun battle with men of the state Police Command and vigilantes in Korokoro, Tai LGA of the state.

Bobosky died while being paraded along with his younger brother, said to be his driver, who was dead on arrival also due to the superior firepower of the police.

Just like the previous criminal gang leaders who were declared wanted after they had committed heinous crimes, Bobosky was declared wanted after he had committed grievous crimes considered embarrassing to the state.

Traditional leaders, top politicians and security agencies are believed to be familiar with the leaders of these criminal gangs.

The killing of Waney and other gang leaders in similar circumstances have fuelled the suspicion that they might have been silenced to prevent them from spilling the beans.

However, those familiar with military and police operations believe they died in actions that were not premeditated.

In a most recent case, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara has offered another N100 million bounty for information on the arrest of Gift David Okpara Okpolowu a.k.a. 2-Baba, suspected to have led the armed gang that killed the DPO for Ahoada, Angbashim.

It was a gory sight as a viral video surfaced showing the moment the dreaded cultists displayed Angbashim’s mutilated body, with his head, hands and private parts cut off and displayed in a very gruesome manner.

Many believe that only the Boko Haram terrorists in the North-east and the unknown gunmen in the South-east can treat their victims in such cruel, inhuman and dastardly manner.

Expressing sadness over the incident, Governor Fubara alleged that Okpolowu was the leader of the criminal gang that had been terrorising the area.

Fubara also suspended the traditional ruler of the area, His Majesty, Eze Cassidy Ikegbidi Eze Igbu Akoh II, for “ceding control of his territory to the notorious David Gift and his gang to freely operate and carry out their criminal activities.”

Acting Inspector-General of Police (IG), Kayode Egbetokun, in a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, described the DPO’s murder as “utterly mindless” and “despicable” and vowed to ensure the perpetrators of the murder were apprehended and prosecuted.

Security experts believe that security agencies had turned a blind eye to 2-Baba’s atrocities apparently due to the influence of his powerful sponsors.

The suspension and reported arrest of the traditional ruler were seen by these experts as face-saving measures and mere attempts to make him a scapegoat for the sins of the security agencies and the political leaders.

Analysts argue that if the cultists could behead a DPO who led a heavily armed team of policemen to confront them, they could have also roasted a defenceless traditional ruler who they considered an enemy like a beef.

With the revelation by CP Nwonyi that politicians were behind these criminal gangs and the interest shown in the case by the IG, will security agents allow 2-Baba to spill the beans? Or will he die in a shootout like others?

These are questions agitating the minds of security analysts, and events of the next few weeks will provide answers to these questions.