The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike yesterday named 32 cultists from 12 local government areas of the state and placed N640million bounty on them to be arrested and prosecuted by the security agencies.
In a state broadcast yesterday, on the killing of Johnson Igwedibia alias Don Waney, Governor Wike stated that the Rivers State Government has zero tolerance for crime and criminality, hence it will continue to take measures to protect lives and property.
“The Rivers State Government will pay N20 million to any person who volunteers useful information that would lead to the arrest and prosecution of any of the afore-mentioned persons.
“Since 2015, we have been calling for tackling security issues devoid of political considerations in Rivers State in order to achieve maximum result. This level of commitment and professionalism as demonstrated in the Omoku case is exemplary. Therefore, we will continue to demand no less from our security agencies to keep our State safe and secure for residents, visitors and investors.
“ As a government, we have invested heavily on the security of the State and will continue to do everything within our powers to guarantee the security and safety of lives and property throughout the State. As a fact, we will spare no cost in ensuring that nobody will have peace if the lives and property of our people make no meaning to them”, the governor said.
While recalling his visit to the families of the victims of the ugly Omoku violence on January 1, 2018 where he pledged a N200million bounty for information on the perpetrators , Governor Wike said the death of Don Waney and his murderous gang is a welcome development.
He said: “Although we would have wanted Mr. Don Waney and his gang members to have been arrested alive and put to trial for their numerous crimes and atrocities against his own people, his death, nevertheless, is a huge relief to the entire State, and therefore, most welcome development.”
Governor Wike reassured security agencies of the support of the Rivers State Government as they discharge their responsibility of maintaining law and order.
He also declared that the State Government would amend the State Anti-kidnapping Law to prescribe death sentence for criminals involved in cultism, robbery and kidnapping.
He said: “We reiterate our zero tolerance for all forms of criminality and reassure all residents of our determination to be tough with those who choose to violate our criminal laws and undermine peace and security in the State.
“ To underscore the seriousness we attach to the fight against violent crime, we shall be amending the Anti kidnapping law to prescribe the maximum sentence for engaging in cultism, robbery and kidnapping”.
Governor Wike stated that the amnesty programme of the state government which generated peace and was largely successful before it was compromised by the immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who prevailed on the Federal Government and the security agencies to sabotage it.
He emphasised that APC leaders in Rivers State worked against the Amnesty Programme.
He said: “Our decision to offer amnesty to all repentant cultists, militants and criminals was done in good faith and in the best interest of the State. Regrettably, while the programme was on course, some opposition leaders in our state, especially the former governor, unhappy with the successes recorded, dissuaded some armed militants and cultists from sincerely embracing the amnesty.
“Indeed, they also persuaded the Federal Government not to support the programme and other security measures we had recommended. This is the reason why we must thank the President for doing things differently and with the support of all, a different result has been achieved.
“Even now, instead of showing respect for the dead and genuine sympathies to the bereaved families of this dastardly act, the former Governor prefers to further exploit the unfortunate incident for political ends by making wild, unguarded and inciting statements against the State Government. However, we leave him to the judgment of God and posterity.”
Governor Wike said contrary to Amaechi’s false claims and posturing, the security challenge in Omoku predated the current administration. He said Rivers State was never peaceful when Amaechi held sway as Governor, noting that the same Don Wanny tragically killed 32 persons in Omoku on the 14th of December 2014 under Amaechi , who failed to bring Don Wanny to justice.
Governor Wike said: “For years the security situation in Omoku in particular, and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government area in general, has been most challenging because of the criminal activities of Don Wanny and his gang.
“ We therefore wholeheartedly thank President Muhammadu Buhari for rising to the occasion and not politicking with the issue of security. We also commend the security agencies, particularly, the Nigerian Army and the Department of State Security, for swiftly rising to the challenge in the most professional manner.
“There is no doubt that this heroic success has proven what is possible when our security agencies are willing to discharge their constitutional duties with unadulterated commitment and professionalism.”
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government has reacted to information trending on the social media that Governor Nyesom Wike was planning to recognise the late cult kingpin, Johnson Igwedibia, as a traditional ruler before he was killed over the weekend.
Mr. Igwedibia, popularly known as Don Waney, was alleged to be the mastermind of the New Year Day tragedy in Omoku, Rivers State, where gunmen in the early hours of the day shot dead 17 people returning from church.
Mr. Igwedibia was killed on Sunday by a combined team of soldiers and the personnel of the Department of State Security Service,(DSS) who tracked him down to Enugu, in Enugu State, where he was hiding.
The late kingpin in 2016 was conferred with the chieftaincy title of Oyirimba I of Ogba land by the paramount ruler of Aligwu community, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, ONELGA, in the state, C. Nwokocha, according to a report published by the Vanguard newspaper.
However, the Commissioner for Information, Rivers State, Emma Okah, said the state government was not aware of the conferment on Mr. Igwedibia and his colleagues.
“Some chieftaincy titles are honourary,” Mr. Okah told newsmen last Monday.
“In this case, traditional rulers are entitled on their own to confer chieftaincy titles on anybody of their choice; the government does not need to recognise those ones.
“He was not a traditional ruler, to the best of my knowledge. It has never come up anywhere in the government circle that here’s a traditional ruler who is asking for recognition.”
Mr. Okah said that the “closest” relationship Governor Wike had with Mr. Igwedibia was last year when the militant embraced the amnesty programme of the state government.
He said the late cultist never had “one-on-one interaction” with the governor.
“You see, for us in Rivers State, the effort we make is to reduce criminality to the barest minimum, and we offer both the carrot and the stick approaches as advisedly done using international standard and best practice.
“Now, when we offered the amnesty, he embraced it and came in. Amnesty means that all sins before that time have been forgiven. But from the time amnesty is granted, any fresh sin you commit, you answer for it. This is within the purview of security agencies.
“The governor of a state cannot stop security agencies from carrying out their constitutional responsibilities. And it is also defeatist for anybody to imagine that a state governor would be spending hard-earned resources to support the security agencies to fight crimes in the state to turn around and also be encouraging the same thing,” Mr. Okah said.
The commissioner said the killing of Mr. Igwedibia would help reduce cultism.
“This is the time to redouble our effort. Active monitoring is what is required. What the federal government and the security agencies should do as the next step is to first of all take advantage of the millage now and build upon it.
“Increase the synergy between the state, security agencies and the public. Two, divorce politics from security; if anybody is found wanting, bring him to book,” he said.