By Uche Onyeali
Bayelsa State Police Command has arrested suspected killers of Odeinyefa Ogbolosingha, an in-law to to Governor Douye Diri.
The 50-year-old Ogbolosingha was the paramount ruler of Kalaba community in Yenagoa Local Government Area.
The suspects also allegedly murdered the Chairman of Kalaba Community Development Committee, Kolibo Amabelimo, and Samuel Oburo.
Disclosing the arrest of the suspects yesterday, the Commissioner of Police, Francis Idu told journalists during an interactive session in Yenagoa that Gideon Atama, 32, Bethlehem Nwanlia, 49 and Clever Ovo, 33, allegedly committed the crime in 2022.
Idu disclosed that while one of the suspects identified as Perekebi Nwanlia was deceased, both Atama and Bethlehem Nwalia were still at large, but Clever Ovo was in police custody.
According to him, Ovo has confessed that they are members of the notorious Endurance Amagbein gang whose leader, Endurance Amagbein, has since been declared wanted by the Nigerian Army over the alleged killing of 16 soldiers at Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State in 2024.
Idu said Gideon Atama was arrested with a mobile phone while dressed in army camouflage and well-kitted like a soldier, but “upon a close check on the phone, pictures of assorted rifles and voice notes of their previous operations were unravelled. They also mentioned sponsors of the vandalisation of installations and facilities in the region.”
Also, the police attached to Labrado Security Houseboat at Igbikiba in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area arrested a 20-year-old boat captain, Daniel Williams, involved in alleged cases of pipeline vandalisation.
Idu said Williams was allegedly involved in the recent attack on the 18-inch Tebidaba-Brass trunkline at Lascogbene community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area operated by Oando.
“He was contacted by the suspect and the wanted Amaegbein to convey and deliver pipeline vandalisation equipment such as two filing machines, five blades, five cutters, two machetes, five rechargeable head lamps, two Itel phones, two radio sets, foodstuffs and toiletries to enable him perpetrate his oil bunkering plans, despite the riot act being read to security agencies operating in the Niger Delta by President Bola Tinubu. The suspect will be charged to court soon,” the CP said.
