Don Wanney’s group surrender arms in Owerri

Scores of loyalists of the dreaded late Don Wanney’s group on Monday evening surrendered their arms to the Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha. Their boss, Wanney, had been killed few weeks ago by security operatives.

At the event, which took place at the Heroes’ Square, Owerri, the ex-militants surrendered explosives, rocket launchers, high-calibre riffles, including AK 47, among others. They confessed their sins, saying that they were done with their hellish activities on fellow humans.

Okorocha, while receiving them, said: “It is shocking that most of the activists of the Avengers and Don Waney operatives are our sons and daughters from the militancy business. Their decision to voluntarily surrender their arms will end the security challenges we have in the Ohaji/Egbema, Awara axis and the rest of the areas where people have been on self-exile for many years.

“Today we are welcoming back our brothers and sisters who have remained in the creeks and forest for so many years perpetuating all kinds of evil, killing and maiming human beings,’’ he said.

Earlier, the fourth in command in the late Wanney’s group, Emenike Agamu, simply known as General Red Squad, said the deadly group led by their late boss had killed many people and blew up many oil pipelines. He appealed that they be accepted, forgiven and reintegrated into the society.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has vowed to hunt down cultists and kidnappers granted amnesty by his Imo State counterpart, Okorocha, because of their complicity in the murder of 23 persons in Omoku on January 1, 2018. Wike said it was disheartening for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its officials to be politicizing security to the detriment of the rest of the country.  

It will be recalled that the Rivers State government had 16 days ago alleged that it had obtained credible intelligence that the APC-led Federal Government had concluded plans to grant amnesty to 32 cultists declared wanted by the state for the purpose of undue electoral advantage in the 2019 general elections.

While reacting to the amnesty granted some cultists and kidnappers by Okorocha on Monday, Wike said those granted the amnesty were already wanted by the state for their culpability in the killing of 23 persons on New Year’s day in Omoku, the headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The governor who was shocked by the action of Okorocha, said the N20 million bounty placed on the heads of the 32 wanted cultists who now enjoy amnesty in neighbouring Imo still stands. He said that the security agencies would be empowered to bring the criminals to account for their crimes against Rivers citizens.