Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka
A member of the gang that allegedly killed the President-General of Nimo community, Chief Anthony Igboka, has confessed that his group murdered the ex-lawmaker because it was banished from the community.
The suspect, 27-year-old Chigbo Aniegbu, (alias Transformer), who was paraded at the state police command headquarters by the Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Dandaura, said the late Igboka as the PG of Nimo chased his members out of the community.
Aniegbu who said he was not the one that shot the deceased, added the late PG insisted they should not return until they turned a new leave.
He also confessed to being a member of Vikings cult group, but claimed that he ignorantly joined the gang in the vehicle from a neighbouring town to his community where they carried out the dastardly act.
Answering newsmen’s questions he said: “I was at Oyeolisa when they picked me. They told me to join them for an operation but was not told that the operation involved the killing of Igboka.
“That was why I was speechless when they started shooting the man. I don’t have any personal issue with him. After all, two of us are from the same village.
“The only mistake I made was entering the vehicle without confirming exactly where they were headed.”
But addressing newsmen while parading Aniegbu and another suspects, Dandaura disclosed that Governor Willie Obiano had increased the cash reward of N5m earlier promised to anybody with useful information that could lead to the arrest of the remaining suspects to N15 million (N5 million per head).
He said the governor increased the reward following the arrest of Aniegbu whom he described as the kingpin and who hails from the same community with the slain Igboka.
Dandaura noted that three members of the gang were still at large, but efforts were being made to track them down.
He said “they are Smart, surname unknown, Chukwuonso, alias Nwasami and Obinna Okafor. The suspects have all been declared wanted by the command and a cash reward of N5 million (each) has been promised to anybody who provides useful information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects by His Excellency the Executive governor of Anambra State Chief Willie Obiano.”
Speaking on the assassinated Igboka the he said: “He was a brave and strong man, and criminals feared him while he was alive; it is believed that his killers might be bad boys in the community.”
He however, described the month of April as a blessing to the command following a harvest of arrests it recorded, disclosing that a total of 265 suspects were arrested.