Gunmen dressed in army uniform have whisked away a popular ex-militant leader, High Chief Sobomabo Jackrich, aka, Egberipapa, from his Usokun country home in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The police, however, confirmed that Egberipapa, who was a Governorship candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) in 2023, was not abducted but arrested by another security agency.
Rivers Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP.Grace Iringe-Koko, only said: “It is not kidnapping. He is with some security personnel. That is all I can say for now.”
Sources close to the ex-militant leader said the operation was conducted in a commando style with military vans and army Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) used to cordon off the home of the ex-militant leader.
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One of his loyalists identified as Harry was certain that the military took his boss away to the barracks.
He said: men, who drove in army vans, surrounded his house around 3am on Monday and took him away.
”They killed two people and evacuated their corpses. They took him to the barracks”, he said.
Though the motive for the arrest was not disclosed, some persons believed it could be connection with the Okuama killing of soldiers in Delta State as the military widened its search for suspects and missing arms.
Jackrich was popularly known as Egberipapa in the creeks before he embraced the amnesty offered to repentant Niger Delta militants by the Federal Government.
Media aide to the ex-militant leader, Soibibo Sokari confirmed the incident saying two of his loyalists were killed by the armed men.
Sokari said: “Yes it is true he was arrested this morning. Two persons were killed and their bodies carted away along with him. We are still following up the incident to get more details.
“We don’t know exactly who is behind it. But as the details unfold we will let the public know about it.”
