Bank robbery: I was appointed Special Adviser to Governor before my arrest- Suspect

ON JUNE 8, 20166:44 AMIN CRIME ALERT, NEWSCOMMENTS

By Ifeanyo Okolie

A 27-year-old notorious bank robbery suspect, Ikadoi Isere, alias White Witch, who was arrested recently by operative of the Inspector- General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team, IRT, stunned Crime Alert during an exclusive interview by disclosing that he was appointed a Special Adviser to Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, on Oil and Gas matters, prior to his arrest.


•The Suspects
A native of Nambe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, the suspect was arrested alongside two others; Daniel Gogo, aka Full-Payment and Ifeanyi Kalu. They were accused of participating in no fewer than 15 bank and bullion van robbery and kidnappings across Port-Harcourt, Rivers State and some South East States.

Police sources disclosed that three Ak47 rifles, a Lar rifle, 360 rounds of live ammunitions, 20 magazines, five dynamites, two pistols, a rifle servicing equipment and three exotic cars, were recovered from the suspects after their hideouts were raided in Bayelsa State.

N400m loot

The source who spoke on the condition of anonymity stated; “White Witch and members of his gang had killed over 20 policemen and made away with their rifles in separate robbery operations within Port-Harcourt City, between 2012 and 2016.” He described the gang as one of the city’s most dreaded robbery gangs, identifying, Daniel Gogo, who is popularly known as Full-Payment, as the leader.

The source further disclosed that having gathered credible intelligence on the gang’s activities between 2012 and 2016, operatives trailed them to Bayelsa State, where they were arrested and large catch of arms and ammunitions were recovered from them. They reportedly confessed during interrogations that they made over N400million from robbing several banks and bullion vans, including kidnappings of prominent businessmen, civil servants and oil workers across Port-Harcourt.

Confession of gang leader

The leader of the gang, Gogo alias Full-Payment, told Crime Alert that he invested a large chunk of his share of the loot in setting up a local oil refinery within the creeks of Bayelsa State, while his patner, Isere, alias White Witch, stated that he invested a large share of his loots on his siblings, wife and his aged mother. He added that he also used some in sponsoring the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, at the last General Election in Bayelsa State.

He explained that he mobilized people to vote for PDP and used the gang’s rifles to protect electoral materials during the last Governorship Election at Nembe Local Government Area of the State. White Witch told Crime Alert that he joined the gang in 2010, when one of his elder brothers who is a member of Vikings Confraternity, linked him to the gang leader called Full-Payment, in Port-Harcourt.


Arms
“I am a member of Icelander Confraternity and I am the executioner in-charge of Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. My elder brother IJB, who is also a member of Vikings linked me to my boss, Full-Payment, who is also a member of Vikings and he asked him to assist me.

He accepted and brought me into the gang. At that time, I was highly frustrated because after I finished learning underwater welding through the Presidential Amnesty Program, I had no job.

I wasn’t getting the complete amount from the stipend given to ex-militants of the Niger Delta. Before the money will get to me, it has gone through several persons and when I will receive mine, it will remain only N20, 000. There was nothing I could do with such an amount. I have a wife and children to fend for and my siblings are still in school and they are looking up to me.

Our first operation

“ The first operation I went with the gang was at Uguruta Junction on the Port-Harcourt International Airport Road. We attacked some vehicles conveying a huge sum of money in for[b][/b]

God will surely heal our land

Hmmm..