Don Wani (left) during the Amnesty Programme of Rivers State Government

The authorities of 6 Division Nigerian Army Port Harcourt on Sunday confirmed that notorious Niger Delta cult leader, kidnap kingpin and mass murderer Don Waney has been killed.

AMINU ILIYASU, a Colonel and Deputy Director Army Public Relations in a statement issued in Rivers on Sunday narrated the process which led to the eventual killing of the kingpin believed to be the mastermind of New Year Day mass slaughter in Omoku, Onelga Local Government Area by combined security operatives in Enugu on Saturday.

“Perhaps not satisfied with the numerous lives of innocent citizens he took, Don Waney masterminded the despicable New Year day mayhem in Omoku in which he led his notorious gang of criminals to murder 23 peace loving citizens of Omoku when they were returning from Cross Over Service at about 1:30am on Monday 1st January 2018.

Don Waney with gun shot wound in the head and two of his dead men, Ikechukwu Adiele and Lucky Ode

“Intense surveillance activities on him and his gang by the Department of State Services (DSS) Rivers State Command revealed that after committing these atrocities he relocated to a neighbourhood within Enugu Town  in Enugu State where he rented an apartment and started living among unsuspecting neighbours within the community.

“From the relative safety of his newly-rented apartment, Don Waney was already perfecting plans to wrought another mayhem in Omoku in which he was to attack churches, schools, Army and Police locations and the RESIDENCES of the generality of the already traumatized people of Omoku.

“However, following successful geo-location of his new Enugu neighbourhood hideout by the DSS Rivers State Command, a combined team of troops of 82 Division Nigerian Army Enugu and personnel of DSS Rivers State Command raided the hideout to arrest him and his other accomplices.

“Incidentally on sensing that the combine team were closing in on his residence, Don Waney, his Second- in- Command (Ikechukwu Adiele) and another gang member (Lucky Ode) attempted to escape through the back exit of the apartment and were shot down by the eagle eyed troops in the process.

“One of them died on the spot while the other 2 who sustained gun shot wounds eventually died while being evacuated for medical attention.

“The remains of Don Waney and his cohorts were brought back to Port Harcourt Rivers State by the combine team and handed over to the Rivers State Police Command for further action.”

The Army also recalled recalled that in the early hours of Monday 20th November 2017, its  troops of 6 Division acting on credible information from some patriotic members of the public raided the evil Don Waney enclave in Omoku, ONELGA Rivers State where shocking discoveries of assorted weapons, dynamites, bags of suspected cannabis, full military camouflage uniforms, military boots, military communication radios, 10 human skulls and human bones were discovered.

In continuation of the operation on Tuesday 21st November 2017, the troops also exhumed decomposing bodies of some of his victims in his shrine in the glaring eyes of the media who were invited to witness first hand.

While extending its condolences to the families of all the victims of the evil Don Waney and his gang, the Army solicit further cooperation of Rivers residents in volunteering useful information to track down and arrest the remaining gang members.

This, the Army said will ensure a peaceful, prosperous and secured Omoku community, ONELGA, Rivers State and the entire Niger Delta region in 2018.