By Nosa Akenzua, Asaba
A crack team of policemen from force headquarters, Abuja, on Wednesday last week, arrested Mr Sunday Okoro Ukwejemifor (AKA G1), a Special Assistant to Delta state governor on Security Matters over alleged assassination attempt on Mr Sunny Nwakego.
Mr Okoro, who was said to be on the watch list of security operatives since 2009, as a result of his alleged involvement in kidnapping, arson, unresolved murder and armed robbery, was arrested along with six others: Ayomanor Tobore, Romeo Okoro, Precious Oghaje, Blessing Isaba, Eseoghene Ogheneovo and Iwarri Mosco.
His arrest, our correspondent gathered, was a fallout of a failed assassination attempt on Mr Sunny Nwakego, a a prominent businessman in Sapele, whom Okoro allegedly hired five hitmen from Port-Harcourt, Rivers state, to kill; but luck ran out of them, leading to the arrest of three of the suspects, while two others fled.
A police source in Edo state police command, where they are currently been detained, who spoke to this reporter on the condition of anonymity, said that following a confessional statement by the three arrested suspects, Okoro and other 6 were picked up.
He explained that Okoro, aka G1, and six others, were currently being interrogated; while moves are on to track down other flying suspects.
“Mr Okoro was arrested followed a the confessional statement made by three suspects, who were earlier arrested following intelligence by some of our men in Sapele. On further interrogation, they confessed that Mr. Sunday Okoro, (G1) hired them from Port-Harcourt, Rivers state, to kill one Mr Sunday Nwakego.
“As we speak, the investigations are ongoing, though there has been pressure from top politicians from Delta state for the case to be transferred to the state, I can assure you that we will be very fair and thorough in this matter. If, at the end of the investigations, we find out that they have no case to answer, so be it; but we shall certainly not succumb to pressure,” he added.
Mr Okoro was allegedly fingered in the gruesome murder of late Oghenebrorhine Lucky Tetebe on October 17th, 2009, who was killed for allegedly reporting him to the police for his alleged involvement in armed robbery. He was also accused of killing Akpojevughe Miller Tikaraye in August, 2009, for allegedly refusing to join White Ladder cult group and one Mr Saturday Agbamu, in February 2, 2011, over a little misunderstanding.
Recall that following the tension generated by Mr Okoro and his gang, Okirighwre community youths, numbering over 50, on August 29, 2015, stormed Asaba, the Delta state capital, protesting the activities of a cult group known as White Ladder in Okirighwre community, Sapele local government area of the state.
The protesters blamed the numerous cases of murder, arson and kidnapping since 2009 on the cult group.
Defying the heavy downpour, the protesters marched to the Delta State Ministry of Justice, where they tendered a petition to the office of the Department of Public Prosecution demanding an investigation into the alleged murder, arson and kidnapping cases against the group led by one Okoro alias G1.
They accused some politicians of the ruling PDP in the state of being behind the cultists, who allegedly worked for their election victories.
Recall that a new media had, on, June 05, 2016, reported how the said Mr Sunday Okoro and four of his boys, engaged men of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Force Headquarters, Abuja, who came to arrest him in a gun duel, leading to the death of one of his gang members, simply called Niteman.
The dreaded cult leader was subsequently arrested at Abuja, but was, however, left off the hook following the intervention of a prominent politician from Sapele, who allegedly used Mr Okoro in the 2015 generation.