Two men known as ‘Urban Gorilla’ and ‘Black Devil’ have been captured by policemen hunting notorious kidnappers in Rivers State.
It was revealed that the suspects were acting like 800-pound gorillas, running the criminal underworld in the state.
Police authorities told Newsmakersng that the gang smashed by the Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT) was known for kidnapping medical doctors and pharmacists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.
Newsmakersng also learnt that 42-year-old Anthony Pepple, aka Urban Gorilla, from Bonny LGA of Rivers is a “very educated former staff of SAIPEM – a Multinational Oil Servicing Company. He worked with the company in Nigeria and Abu-Dabi, UAE.
Officers told Newsmakersng that after several reported cases of kidnapping in Port Harcourt, IGP Ibrahim K Idris instructed the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) to bring an end to the menace of the gang.
A police source revealed: “On April 1st, at about 3pm, after diligent and painstaking Intelligence gathering and analysis and technical support from TIU, operatives of IGP- Intelligence Response Team deployed to Port-Harcourt arrested one Saheed Adekunle aka ‘Black Devil’, a 27-year-old man from Ede South L.G.A of Osun State.
“Black Devil who resides in Port-Harcourt confessed to have been introduced into kidnapping by one Tony in 2016. He gave valuable information that led to the arrest of the overall gang leader – Anthony Pepple aka ‘Urban Gorrilla’, a very educated former staff of SAIPEM – a Multinational Oil Servicing Company. He worked with the Company both in Nigeria and Abu-Dabi, UAE.
“Upon his arrest, Anthony Pepple confessed to be a key member of the Niger Delta Avengers blowing pipelines, and that he masterminded the cold blooded murder of one Soboma George a militant commander in 2009. He also confessed to being the kingpin of a kidnap syndicate that was known for targeting medical doctors and pharmacist amongst other unsuspecting innocent members of the public in Port-Harcourt since 2015, collecting his ransoms in tens of millions of Naira.
“Following his confession, IRT in a mop-up operation lasting about 72 hours, seven more members of the gang were arrested and they all confessed to be part of the kidnap syndicate. They revealed the roles they played.”
Other arrested members of the gang were named as: 41-year-old Hillary Wogu; Ogbungbada Chima (36), and Chief Aghara Emmanuel Lobito (31), “installed in December 2014 by His Royal Highness Chukwuemeka Consider Nwafor of Awka Anambra State, but resident in Woji Town Port-Harcourt as Chief Eze Lobito Emmanuel Aghara Alusi of Nwanne Di-Namba, Port-Harcourt branch.
The chief allegedly provided the Nissan Pathfinder and the Nissan Xterra that was used for some of the operations.
The police also mentioned the arrest of Lucky Gospel Marako (36), Igbiki Sokari (38), Dokubo Victor Ipalibo, (28), who allegedly confessed that he formed the gang with Tony; Okwudili Pascal (41), a plumber with a shop along East-West road by Akpajo Port-Harcourt, whose role was to bring information to kidnappers on the people he handles plumbing job for; Candy Ndubisi Nwankwo (30).
The police named some of the gang’s victims as Dr. Silas Nwachukwu, a Surgeon and the Director of Capino Pharmacy at Rumuomasi, who was kidnapped in August 2015, and a Pharmacist – Mrs Joy Enuvie Akpokobje (63). She is the Director of Tejod Pharmacy at 115 UniPort Road, Choba.
She was kidnapped on November 8, 2016 along NTA UniPort Road.
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Every day is for the thief, one day is for the owner. One by one, our streets and roads are being sanitised by the Nigerian Police. Keep up the good work guys, Nigerians are solidly behind you.