It was a tale of horror mixed with jubilation for the residents of B-dere community in Gokana Local Government area of Ogoniland of Rivers State on Thursday evening following the arrest of two notorious cultists and kidnap kingpin who had constituted themselves into terror in the area.
The suspected notorious cultists, Barididum Danaa, aka ‘ kill and bury ‘and his accomplice, Prophet Nkpe, who are members of the dreaded Degbam cult group led the anti-cultism unit of the Rivers Police Command to a shallow grave where they buried three young men from the community who had earlier been declared missing.
Speaking to journalists at the scene of the crime, a thick forest at Bera, a neighbouring community to B-dere, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nnamdi Omoni, explained that the three deceased victims – Baridomale Sunday Tor, Baridon Gbarabera Asah and Barisiton Nawee – were declared missing on 14th of March, 2020.
Omoni disclosed that reports were made to the Police on the missing persons and following a discreet investigation, the main suspects, Barididum Daanaa aka ‘ kill and bury ‘ and Prophet Nkpe were arrested three days ago.
The suspects who told journalists in an interview at the scene of the crime which is a waterlogged forest said that they are members of Deygbam cult group said that they bound the victims’ hands and legs before burying them alive in the shallow well.
Daana also confessed that the three victims were buried alive because he and his gang discovered that they were informants to security agencies on the illegal oil bunkering activities going on in their area.
Residents of the community were filled with griefs and regrets as they watched the exhumation of the remains of the buried young men by the police.
But they were also relieved that with the arrest of the notorious suspects, the riddles about the missing young men have been solved after over three months.
A community Chief in B-Dere, Nkah Baribe, told journalists that the cultists killed the three young men because they accused them of giving information to security agencies that led to the arrest of their gang members.
It was also gathered that other members of gang are on the run.
DSP Omoni said the suspects have implicated other members of the gang who are into illegal oil refining activities.
Omoni gave a firm assurance that the Police will go after them and ensure they account for their crimes.
Recall that about two days ago, the decomposed body of one Dinabari Ereba who was killed with his corpse left to rot on a tree was also discovered by detectives attached to the Anti-kidnapping Unit of the Rivers State Police command.
Two suspected kidnappers, Osundu Uchendu and Amebulem Amo had led the police officers and journalists to the crime scene in Alesa, Eleme forest in Eleme local government area of the state where the remains of Ereba was discovered.
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