Geoffrey Anyanwu,  Awka

A member of the gang that allegedly killed the President General of Nimo community, Chief Anthony Igboka, yesterday confessed that they murdered him because their gang was banished from the community. 

The suspect, 27-year-old Chigbo Aniegbu, (alias Transformer), who was paraded yesterday by the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mustapha Dandaura, said the late Igboka, as the PG of Nimo chased their members out of the community.

Aniegbu, who said he was not the one that shot the deceased, added the late PG insisted they would not return until they turned a new life.

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 I 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 other suspects,  Dandaura disclosed that  Governor Willie Obiano has 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. He said the governor increased the reward following the arrest of Aniegbu, who he described as the kingpin and who hails from the same community as Igboka.

Dandaura noted that three members of the gang were still at large but efforts were being made to track them down.

Speaking of Igboka, the CP said: “He was a brave and strong man, and criminals feared him while he was alive. It is believed that his killers may be bad boys in the community.”

He, however, described the month of April as a blessing to the command following harvest of arrests it recorded in the month, disclosing that a total of 265 suspects were arrested.