Oil company worker behind kidnap, killing of militant leader, VC, pharmacist, others arrested

The Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team has arrested 11 kidnap suspects in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The suspects include Anthony Pepple, who is also known as Urban Gorilla and a suspected member of Niger Delta Avenger, a militant group in the Niger Delta.
The Commander of the IRT, Assistant Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Tuesday.
Kyari gave the names of the other suspects as: Sahhed Adekunle (Black Devil); Hillary Wogu, 41; Ogbungbada Chima, 36; Chief Aghara Lobito, 31; Lucky Marako, 36; and Igbiki Sokari 38.
Others are: Dokubo Ipalibo, 28; Okwudili Pascal, 41; Candy Nwankwo, 30; and Tony.
Kyari said Pepple was well educated and was a staff of SAIPEM, a multinational oil servicing company, adding that he had worked in the company’s offices in Nigeria and Abu-Dhabi, UAE.
Kyari said: “Upon his arrest, Anthony Pepple confessed to being a key member of the Niger Delta Avengers and the mastermind of the cold-blooded murder of one Saboma George, a militant commander, in 2009.
“He also confessed to being the kingpin of a kidnap syndicate that was known for targeting medical doctors, pharmacists and other unsuspecting residents of Port Harcourt since 2015.”
Kyari listed some of the victims of the kidnap gang to include Onomake Monday, a pharmacist; Prof. Rosemund Osahogulu, a former Vice Chancellor; and Ignatuis Ajuru of University of Education, Port-Harcourt.
He said: “Exhibits recovered from the syndicate were one AK-47 rifle with bridge No. 4398, two SUV cars and a Volkswagen Golf car used for their operations.”
NAN.