Rivers lawmaker is a member of my gang, alleges ‘robber’

A suspected notorious kidnapper, robber and murderer, Justice Oti, aka High Tension, has alleged that a Rivers lawmaker  is a member of his gang.

Oti, an indigene of Odisama in Ahoada East Local Government,  who was born on March 7, 1993, admitted being a member of Icelander cult, saying he killed 15 members of a rival Greenlander cult.

He said yesterday in Port Harcourt that he killed because members of Greenlander killed over 15 Icelander members.

Oti, who embraced the amnesty offer of the Governor Nyesom Wike administration, said he did not completely surrender his arms and ammunition, adding that  Greenlander members never submitted their guns, but only deceived members of the amnesty committee by surrendering sticks.

The suspected kidnapper, who was arrested in Bauchi State, said he killed people during reprisals.

He was, however, silent on the roles played by the Rivers lawmaker in his gang.

Oti said when his deputy,  Lucky aka Iron, was killed by the rival cult and his head was cut and taken away, with the Greenlander members threatening to also kill him, he escaped to Bauchi State after hiding his AK-47 rifle and ammunition in his village.

The police command has written to the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani, to release the Rivers lawmaker for interview by the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS), headed by Mr. Akin Fakorede.

The letter, obtained through a source close to Police Commissioner Zaki Ahmed, was dated October 9, with the command indicating that it was investigating cases of kidnapping and murder in Ahoada East Local Government involving Oti and members of his gang.

It also indicated that inviting the Rivers lawmaker was to facilitate the command’s investigation, with the Speaker asked to release the lawmaker for interview with the commander of F-SARS on October 12  at noon.

The legislator was contacted for his reaction through his mobile line, from 6:44 pm., but he did not pick his calls. An SMS sent to him was not responded to last night.

Ahmed said his command had zero tolerance for crimes.

Also paraded yesterday was Blessed Francis, a 20-year-old 200 level Geology student of University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), who was arrested in Port Harcourt for alleged burglary and robbery, barely three months after another UNIPORT undergraduate, Ifeanyi Dike, was arrested for alleged ritual killing. He is still standing trial.

A gang of an alleged three gun-running youths, comprising two ND-2 students of Rivers State Polytechnic, Port Harcourt, Frank Nwaaknma, 22, from Ibaa, Emohua Local Government and Ujie Francis, from Obudu in Cross River State, was  also arrested.

The third member of the gang, Chigozie Junior Koro, 32, from Ogbakiri in Emohua Council said  he and Nwaaknma only wanted to assist Francis (Ujie) to sell for N100,000, a pistol he claimed to have picked during a communal clash in his village, with a promise to give them N10,000, before they were nabbed by the police.

A 27-year-old suspect, Daniel Okpougo, an indigene of Edoha in Ahoada East Local Government, who was arrested with ammunition, alleged that High Tension (Oti) killed his uncle and he travelled to Patani in Delta State to buy bullets to avenge his death, before he was arrested on East West Road.

Others held for crimes include Loveday Opi, an indigene of Egbema in Ogba/Egbeme/Ndoni Council and Sunday Didia, who hails from Egbeda in Emohua Local Government, both in Rivers State, as well as Kingsley Ofomata from Imo State, John Elvis, an indigene of Auchi in Edo State and Chimankpa Ukomwa from Orlu in Imo State.