Tony John, Port Harcourt
The mere mention of his name, his alias, strikes fear in the heart of people: Kill and Bury. And, truly, according to report, he had killed and buried many people before his vicious criminal career was terminated in a blaze of gunfire and leading to his eventual arrest. For now, the Ogoni community residents are happy that he has been stopped in his deadly track. But whether, with the passage of time, through the instrumentality of the law, he himself will eventually be killed and buried, like he did to people, is a matter of conjecture.
Relief for community under siege
But there was wild jubilation on Thursday evening in B/Dere community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, when news of the arrest of the notorious Deygbam cultist, Barididum Danaa, popularly known as ‘Kill and Bury’ filtered into town. Many people trooped to the police headquarters to be sure that what they heard was not mere hearsay. He was nabbed along with one of his lieutenants.
The community members who showered praises on the police expressed relief at the turn of events that led to the arrest of the young devil said to have constituted himself and his gang members into an unmitigated terror for the village.
Saturday Sun gathered that, before his arrest, the community had been under his siege and that of his cult gang. It was also gathered that members of his notorious cult group perpetrated several violent crimes in the community. Some community sources, who spoke under the condition of anonymity because of their security, said that many residents of the area and their environs knew about the gang’s notoriety, but were scared to speak out. ‘Kill and Bury’, according to the natives, acted in accordance with his nickname. They alleged that anyone he and his gang members killed, they buried without any trace of the location.
Arrest and aftermath
His arrest by operatives of the Anti-Cultism Unit (ACU) of the Nigeria Police in Rivers State, led to the discovery of three male members of the community killed and buried at a site where the suspects were said to operate illegal oil bunkering business in the community. The victims, Baridomale Sunday Tor, Baridon Gbarabera Asah and Barisiton Nawee were declared missing on March 14, 2020. The scene of the crime was inside a thick forest in Bera, a neighbouring community to B/Dere.
‘Kill and Bury’ was paraded at the State Police Headquarters, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, alongside other suspects for various criminal activities. His confession led to the arrest of one of his gang members but others are still at large.
Community leader reveals role
Speaking, Chairman, Council of Chiefs and Elders, in B/Dere, Nkah Baribe, said that available information showed that the cultists killed the victims. He said ‘Kill and Bury’ and his gang members accused the victims of giving information to security agencies and that led to the arrest of some of their members.
His words: “We came into power in August last year (2019). We discovered that there had been killings in B/Dere before we came in. And we decided that the killings must stop. So, when this started, they first killed one Sunday, who is still in the mortuary. We reported the death to the police and urged them to fish out the perpetrators. That was when this group came up again and killed three innocent youths.
“One of the victims was a police informant. We vowed that the community would not take it from them. On that note, we reported the matter to the police again. They responded and this is the outcome of their action. I thank the police; I thank all of you that are here. But one thing I want to say is that we have been doing this on our own from the community. And we will continue to work with you (police) and give you support, so that this killing will stop.”
Lawmaker expresses sadness, joy
Speaking on his arrest, the lawmaker representing Gokana Constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Dumle Maol, expressed sadness at the high rate of illegal crude oil bunkering going on in his constituency. He also expressed sadness over the discovery of the three bodies buried in shallow graves in Bera.
While reacting on the incident, Maol who provided financial assistance that led to the exhumation of the bodies said he was pained by the killings. He regretted that, “their offence is that they reported illegal bunkering activities of these killers to the police. That was their only offence. I am pained because I am from this community. We have been on this matter for a long time.
Thank God, today, justice was dished out to those who perpetrated this barbaric act. And, let me tell you, they have made reasonable confessional statements. Those who are responsible for this terrible and barbaric act would be brought to book no matter how highly placed they may be, because they (killers) mentioned names. And those who do not want us to have peace, we must compel them to allow us have peace.”
He assured that they would continue to give needed support to police and other security agencies in ridding his constituency of crime and criminality.
Suspects speak
In a chat with newsmen the Deygbam cult leader, admitted killing and burying the victims. He also confessed to belonging to a Deygbam cult and to being an illegal oil bunkerer. In a different turn of events, one of the suspects, who gave his name as Prophet Mkpe, thanked the police for the arrest. He, however, denied being the killer, saying that the masterminds would be brought to book.
“I thank the Rivers State Police. I thank the Anti-Cultism Command for all they have done,” he said. “I want to state that I am not the one that committed the murder. The people that committed the murder have already been mentioned and I hope they would be brought to book. I am happy and thank God for people that will return to our community following this arrest. The truth is that I was doing business with bad people. What brought me into this problem is because I was doing business with them.”
Police angle to the story
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), who spoke on the incident, disclosed that report was made to the police about the crime. He said following discreet investigation by the men of Anti-Cultism Unit, the main suspect was arrested. His confession led subsequently to the arrest of one of his gang members.
He noted that the corpses were found with their mouths and legs tied with pieces of cloth. He said the arrest of the two suspects led to the discovery and exhumation of the three decomposing bodies in the forest.
His words: “We (police) have just exhumed the corpses of three decomposing persons. You will recall that on the 14th March there was a case of missing persons reported at the Kpor Police Station in Gokana Local Government Area. The men of the Anti-Cultism Unit acting on credible information arrested two of these suspects who are before us. They were arrested and upon intense interrogation they opened up and led the operatives to the forest where they showed us the grave where the three persons who were declared missing on that fateful day were buried.”
At the end of the briefing the sent out this message: “The message that we may wish to pass is that the arm of justice is long. But, it must surely come and catch you wherever you are. Today is another day the command has registered another milestone in our course to decimate criminal elements in the state.”