The Anti-Cultism Unit of the Rivers State Police Command, on Saturday, gunned down a notorious cultist and kidnapper, Ekene Awaji, also known as Small Wizard, in the Unyiada community, Andoni Local Government Area of the state.
Awaji, who was said to be responsible for the murder of a police inspector in the area, was shot dead alongside his unidentified second-in-command after they had set some buildings in the area ablaze on Friday.
It was also learnt that Awaji and his gang members were also responsible for the kidnap of two policemen in Andoni last year before they were later rescued.
Speaking shorting after showing the corpses of the bandits to journalists, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Nnamdi Omoni, explained that Awaji and his gang engaged the police in a fierce gun battle before he was killed in his hideout during a joint operation.
Omoni pointed out that before his death, the notorious Small Wizard had through his activities been terrorising the people of Andoni.
He said, “The Rivers State Police Command, under the stewardship of CP Mustapha Dandaura, has recorded another milestone in our efforts to rid the state of all criminal elements. Today (Saturday), we have fallen these ones in a covert operation by personnel of the Anti-Cultism Unit in a joint operation with other tactical units.
“They personnel stormed the Unyiada community in the Andoni LGA, where these criminals had been giving us issues. The police have been there for two days now to get these ones out. Based on that operation, we have been able to kill this notorious kidnapper, Ekene Awaji, alias Small Wizard, and his second-in-command.
“This (Awaji) was a man behind all the kidnappings and killings of people in the Andoni LGA. He was behind the kidnap of two policemen, even the killing of other persons that I may even mention here. “Today, the law caught up with him. He engaged our men in a shootout and they chased him to his hideout.
“After he had gone to set some houses in Andoni on fire yesterday (Friday), he met his waterloo today (Saturday). His second-in-command, who was also there, was killed.”
Omoni explained that the people of the Andoni community were jubilant when they got wind of Awaji’s death in the hands of security personnel.
He stated, “As we speak, the Andoni community is in a frenzy of jubilation, because their tormentor-in-chief, their nightmare in the person of Small Witch has been killed. With the killing of these criminals, the community and the Rivers State Command will heave a sigh of relief because Small Wizard killed a police Inspector from the Anti-Kidnapping Unit recently.
“So, we are happy for it; the command is happy and everybody is happy for his death and that of his second-in command. At the end of the operation, we recovered five magazines, one AK-47 rifle and other wooden guns. This AK-47 contains up to 120 pieces of live ammunition, which can serve a community.”
He added that Dandaura had warned criminals in the state to repent, leave the state or risk being apprehended.
“We are not going to relent and this is going to sound as a warning; wherever they are, they should repent or leave the state, otherwise the law will catch up with them,” Omoni stated.
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