The Rivers State Police Command made good its threat to wipe out crime and criminality in the State with the killing of kidnap kingpin Wordi Onuigwe Amadi, and several of his gang members in different operations within the week.

Wordi, who was declared wanted with a N2 million bounty on his head by the Chairman of his home LGA, Emohua, Dr Chidi Lloyd, and three of his gang members, one female and two males were gunned down in a shootout with the Police which stormed their hideout in Greame-Ama on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.

The now deceased criminal gang leader and his boys were said to have been terrorizing the East/West Road, commandeering commercial transport buses and abducting their passengers and collecting ransom before releasing their victims. In some cases, the victims were shot dead after ransoms were paid for them.

According to eyewitnesses, operatives of the State Police Command shot and killed five of the hoodlums and arrested six others in Greame-Ama and Okari Communities both in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State during a gun battle with the hoodlums.

In a telephone interview with Kristina Reports, an indigene of Okrika LGA, Abiye Promise disclosed that the criminals were actually indigenes of Emohua LGA, who have been on the run from security personnel who were on their trail for robbery, kidnapping, murder, fraud and cyber-related crimes.

“The people arrested were not Okrikans but Emohua. They just came to Okrika to hide and that was how they were arrested. They did not cause any trouble during their stay here; their hideout was Greame-Ama Sand Field where they rented an apartment to stay.”

Also speaking, another indigene of the area, Martin Odum revealed that the incident happened at different hours of the day, explaining that three hoodlums were shot dead at Greame-Ama, and their girlfriends and neighbours arrested while the gadgets and other things they had in their possession were confiscated.

“Okari shooting started at 11pm. There were two persons but only one was killed along with a woman with him, supposedly his girlfriend, the other one escaped.”

The State Commissioner of Police, Polycarp Nwonyi confirmed this development during a press briefing at the State Police Command Headquarters on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, informing that Wordi and members of his gang were responsible for the kidnapping and killing of policemen and travellers plying the East-West Road.

He stated that the gang was also responsible for the recent abduction of Justice Azunda, the Protocol Officer to the former Chief of Staff to ex-Governor Nyesom Wike, Emeka Woke.

“On 13th June, 2023 at about 02:30 hours, operatives of the Command, based on intelligence gathered, spotted a notorious kidnapping gang headed by one Wordi Amadi, ‘M,’ aged 25years from Elibrada Community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, and his gang somewhere at Ogoloma in Okirika LGA of Rivers State.”

“On sighting the operatives, the hoodlums opened gunfire but were overpowered due to the superior firepower of the Police operatives.”

“Wordi Amadi and his gang have been on the wanted list of the Police. He has killed policemen, innocent citizens, and has been terrorizing the East-West Road, kidnapping and robbing for ransom and has made the Elibrada indigenes desert their homes.”

“The gang leader, named Wordi Amadi ‘M,” and three of the gang members, including a female, were fatally wounded. They were quickly rushed to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital for treatment. On arrival, the doctor on duty confirmed that they were dead.”

“Exhibits recovered from them are; one AK47 rifle with 25 rounds of 7.62 x 32mm, one assault rifle with 20 rounds of live ammunition, one pump action with four live cartridges; and assorted charms. Investigation is ongoing.”