By; RAYMOND TEDUNJAYE, Lagos
Nemesis has caught up with a notorious Port Harcourt based kidnap kingpin, as he was reportedly killed in a gun battle with operatives of the IGP Intelligence Response Team.
Identified as Prosper David (a.k.a Militant General), he was said to have lost his live in a shoot out with the operatives in his hide out in a creek in Bayelsa state, while three members of his gang were arrested.
The gang members, named Benjamin Johnson, Anthony Joshua and Johnson Denis identified as the driver to the late kidnap kingpin cum sea piracy ring leader.
Exhibits recovered from them were said to include one AK47 rifle, a magazine with 26 rounds of live ammunition, four expended ammunition and a Nokia phone owned by their victim one Mrs.Tina Bob-Manuel.
According to a release by the IRT office made available to journalists Thursday, David met his water lo at his newly rented apartment in Asiri area of Yenagoa Bayelsa state to his new rented apartment when the heat of the operatives was too much on him.
He was said to have ran into the ceiling of his apartment on sighting the operatives, from where he engaged them in a shoot out which resulted in his death.
The operatives, according to the release had lunched a manhunt on the late militant following the kidnap of one Mrs. Bob- Manuel on 21 February 2018 at about 10.45pm by his gang, after which ransom was collected before the victim was released.
While the duo of Benjamin Johnson and Anthony Joshua were arrested by the team between 21/2/18 and 14/3/18 ,the ring leader was said to have escaped to Bayelsa state and his family.
Luck however ran against him following the discovery of his new abode through his driver who had earlier been apprehended earlier.
Serious efforts are in top gear to arrest other gang members and recovery of more arms.
The statement added that the deceased militant had once embrace the Federal Government’s Amnesty programme, but later formed a kidnapping gang and also engaged in sea piracy with members of the gang.
The release reads in part, ” The operatives of the IGP-Intelligence Response Team IRT deployed to Port-Harcourt by IGP Ibrahim Kpotum Idris to Fight Kidnapping and Other Violent Crimes have been on his trail for long time after he masterminded the kidnap of Mrs Tina Bob-Manuel on 22/11/2017 in her shop located at No.107 Nvuigwe Road Woji Port-Harcourt and several other kidnappings.
Suspect went underground after the collection of ransom in two installments and when he sense that the Police are closing in on him, he drop his contact number known to his personal driver that was earlier arrested by the Police and relocated his family from Victory Estate Azikoro Yenagoa in December 2017 to the Creek all in a bid to avoid arrest.
After about 90days of painstaking intelligence gathering with Technical assistance Support from TIU. Suspect was track to Asiri area of Yenagoa Bayelsa state to his new rented apartment and on sighting the operatives, he ran into his apartment ceiling from where he engaged the Operatives but was neutralize and fatally injured”.
Further it stated, “Suspects arrested For the Kidnappings are 1, Johnson Denis driver to the Kidnap Kingpin and the Militant General, Exhibit Recovered from him is one of the victims phone 2, Prosper David (Deceased) kidnap and Sea Piracy Kingpin and “Militant General”. Exhibit recovered from him includes: One AK47 Riffle, one magazine twenty Six rounds of live ammunition, 4 expended Ammunitions and a Nokia phone belonging to his kidnap victim with which Ransom Negotiation was done. 3) Benjamin Johnson and Anthony Joshua are 2 more Gangmembers of the Portharcourt kidnap Kingpin were also arrested between 21/2/18 and 14/3/18″.
The release added that serious efforts are in top gear to arrest other gang members and recover more arms.
