The Bayelsa State Police Command has arrested the suspected murderers of Odeinyefa Ogbolosingha, a 50-year-old Paramount Ruler of the Kalaba community in Yenagoa Local Government Area and son-in-law of Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri.
The accused allegedly murdered HRH Kolibo Amabelimo, Chairman of the Kalaba Village Development Committee, and Samuel Oburo in the village.
Francis Idu, the state Commissioner of Police, informed journalists on Monday during an interactive session in Yenagoa that Gideon Atama, 32, Bethlehem Nwanlia, 49, and Clever Ovo, 33, allegedly committed the crime in 2022.
Idu revealed that one of the suspects, Perekebi Nwanlia, had died, but Atama and Bethlehem Nwalia remained at large, while Clever Ovo was in police custody.
Ovo admitted to being a member of the Endurance Amagbein gang, whose leader is wanted by the Nigerian Army for allegedly killing 16 soldiers at the Okuama community in the Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State in 2024.
Idu stated that Gideon Atama was arrested with a mobile phone while dressed in an army camouflage uniform 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 went further to mention sponsors in the vandalisation of installations and facilities in the region.”
Additionally, police at the Labrado Security Houseboat in Igbikiba, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, arrested 20-year-old boat captain Daniel Williams.
Idu said Daniel Williams was allegedly involved in the recent attack on the 18-inch Tebidaba-Brass trunkline at the Lascogbene community in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area operated by Oando.
Idu stated, “Daniel Williams was contacted by the suspect and wanted Endurance Amaegbein to convey and deliver pipeline vandalisation equipment such as two filing machines, five blades, five cutters, two machetes, five rechargeable headlamps, two Itel phones, two radio sets, foodstuffs and toiletries to enable him perpetrate his oil bunkering plans, despite the riot act being read to the security agencies operating in the Niger Delta by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ahmed Tinubu. The suspect will be charged in court soon.”
