Blessing Okorite, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a woman and five men in connection with the recent killing of a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Chief Nwozuruaka Anele.
Chief Anele was assassinated in the early hours of Saturday September 21, 2019 by gunmen in front of his wife and children.
The deceased’s wife, Orlumati Nwozuruaka, had told The Nigerian Xpress during a visit to her residence in Alakahia, Obio/Akpo Local Government Area, that those who murdered her husband were many. She said her husband was killed despite several pleas by her children to spear their father’s life.
She further said that the she was forced to lie face down so that she would not be able to identify her husband’s killers.
Parading the suspects, the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, disclosed that the Operatives of the Command Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) investigating the assassination rounded up the suspects, following reliable tip-off.
The suspects are Blessing Ogbuagu, Bright Wali, Chineme Wemeh, Stanley Levi, Nnamdi Emenike and Sunday Bright.
Omoni said the suspects had confessed to the crime, adding that they were members of cult group, terrorising the Alakahia and Choba communities.
According to DSP Omoni, “Operatives of the Command’s Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) while following up on Chief Nwozuruaka Anele, a PDP chieftain who was murdered on September 21, 2019 in cold blood in the presence of his wife and children at his residence in Alakahia, Obio/Akpor LGA of Rivers State.
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“The Suspects who were arrested at different times, confessed to belonging to Iceland Cult group terrorizing Alakahia and Choba communities in Obio/Akpor LGA of the State.
“One of the Suspects, Bright Wali ‘m’ confessed to have led his gang on that fateful day, to the house of the deceased, where they shot him to death. His confession led to the arrest of others, who have also confessed to their complicity in the murder.”
Also in an interview with journalists, Bright Wali, a native of Alakahia community confessed that he was forced into becoming a member of Iceland cult group.
He narrated “One Friday night, a number called me and when I refused to pick the call, that same night two persons, Mamma and Bright, natives of Omoku and Choba came to my house and pointed a gun at me and forced me to go and show them Chief Anele’s house.
“After their operation, the next two days my brother’s girlfriend came to our house and told me that the man (Chief Anele) that gave their boss drink is dead. She was having problem with the assistant chief security of the area.”
He regretted joining the dreaded group, saying “it was my brother’s girlfriend (pointed at the female suspect among them) that lured and initiated me into the cult group.”