IGBO Scholar disgraces Femi Fani-Kayode by demolishing claims on Igbo/Yoruba history with facts and figures.

An Igbo scholar, Dr. Samuel Okafor, has made one-time Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, look so small and uneducated by using facts and figures to demolish the claims he made in the controversial August 8 article, “The Bitter Truth About The Igbo”, which set off a storm that almost threatened Igbo-Yoruba relations.

In the first part of an article entitled “The Lies of Femi Fani-Kayode”, Okafor, who has a First Class in History from the University of Nigeria Nsukka and then did a Ph.D in Nsukka on scholarship, dismissed Fani-Kayode as a “half-baked intellectual”. He then proceeded, point by point, to address what he termed “the most reckless amongst the tangle of reckless comments spewed by Femi, a character who with each punch of his keypad stresses his severely unwell conditions of logorrhoea, delusions of enlightenment, history and sociology – amongst others.”

Below are Okafor’s words:

FEMI AND HIS SEVERELY IGNORANT LIES:

•Femi Lies About the Yorubas Being Nigeria’s Earliest Graduates:

From his myopic bubble Femi FaniKayode claims the Yoruba were the first to acquire Western education; the first ever known record of a literate Nigerian in the English Language is the narrative of an Ibo slave who regained his freedom and documented his life history as a slave from the time he was 11 years old in present day Ibo land till the time when he gained his freedom in the middle of the 18th century. He later married an English woman and had 3 children. He died in 1795.

Femi, a basic Google-research will do you good here; check out the name, Equanoh OLAODAH. Further Femi claims that the Yoruba were the first lawyers and doctors in Nigeria. This is again a big falsehood. The first Nigeria doctor was an Effik man Silas G. Dove who obtained a medical degree from France and returned to practice medicine in 1840 in Calabar. This fact can also be verified from historical medical records in Paris.

I would also ask that you google the name BLYDEN – Edward Wilmot BLYDEN – an educated son of free Ibo slaves who by the mid-19th century had acquired sound theological education. He was born in Saint Thomas in 1832. He is one of the founding missionaries that established the Archbishop Vining church in Ikeja. Before the next time you succumb to your long-running battle with logorrhoea, Femi please do some research.

What about the third president of a free Liberia – President J JRoyle – again, a man of Ibo descent. Please take some time to do some research so that we can discuss constructively. It is wrong to peddle lies to your people. It is academic fraud to knowingly misrepresent facts just to score cheap points with people who do not have the discipline to do research and accept anything you pour out simply because they say you are well educated. To again quote the great Nobel Prize Winner in Economics Joseph Stiglitz; Femi fits into the category of third rate students from first rate universities with an inflated sense of self-importance. Let’s go on!

Who was the first Nigerian Professor of Mathematics – an Ibo man – Professor Chike Obi – the man who solved Fermat’s Last Theorem. He was followed by another Ibo man, Professor James Ezeilo, Professor of Differentail Calculus and the founder of the Ezeilo Constant. Please do some research on this great Ibo man. He later became the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria Nsukka and one of the founders of the Nigerian Mathematical Centre. Who was Nigeria’s first Professor of Histroy – Professor Kenneth Dike who published the first account of trade in Nigeria in pre-colonial times. He was also the first African Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan. Who was the first Professor of Microbiology – Professor Eni Njoku; he was also the first African Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos. Anatomy and Physiology – Professor Chike Edozien is an Asaba man and current Obi of Asaba. Who was the first Professor of Anatomy at the University College Ibadan? Who was the first Professor of Physics? Professor Okoye, who became a Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1960. He was followed by the likes of Professor Alexander Anumalu who has been nominated for the Nobel Prize for Physics three times for his research in Intermediate Quantum Physics. He was also a founding member of the Nigerian Mathematical Centre. Nuclear Physics and Chemistry – again another Ibo man – Professor Frank Ndili who gained a Ph.D in his early ’20s at Cambridge Univesity in Nuclear Physics and Chemistry in the early ’60s. This young Asaba man had made a First Class in Physics and Mathematics at the then University College Ibadan in the early ’50s. First Professor of Statistics – Professor Adichie who’s research on Non-Parametric Statistics led to new areas in statistical research. What about the first Nigerian Professor of Medicine – Professor Kodilinye – he was appointed a Professor of Medicine at the University of London in 1952. He later became the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria Nsukka after the war. What about Astronomy – again another Ibo man was the first Professor of Astronomy – please, look up Professor Ntukoju – he was the first to earn a double Ph.D in Astronomy and Mathematics.

Let’s go to the Social Sciences – Demography and statistical research into population studies – again another Ibo man – Professor Okonjo who set up the first Centre for Population Research in Ibadan in the early ’60s. A double Ph.D in Mathematics and Economics. Philosophy – Professor G D Okafor, who became a Professor of Philosophy at the Amherst College USA in 1953. Economics – Dr. Pius Okigbo who became a visiting scholar and Professor of Economics at the University of London in 1954. He is also the first Nigerian Ph.D in Economics. Theology and theological research – Professor Njoku who became the first Nigerian to earn a Ph.D in Theology from Queens University Belfast in Ireland. He was appointed a Professor of Theology at the University College Zambia in 1952.

I am still conducting research in areas such as Geography where it seems a Yoruba man, Professor Mabogunje, was the first Professor. I also am conducting research into who was the first Nigerian Professor of English, Theatre Arts, Languages, Business and Education, Law and Engineering, Computer Technology, etc. Nigerians need to be told the truth and not let the lies that Femi Fani-Kayode has been selling to some ignorant Yoruba who feel that to be the first to see the white man and interact with him means that you are way ahead of other groups. The Ibo as The great Achebe said had within a span of 40 years bridged the gap and even surpassed the Yoruba in education by the ’60s. Many a Yoruba people perpetually indulge in self-deceit: that they were the first to go to school; to be exposed to Western education; that they are academically ahead of other Nigerian cultures of peoples. Another ignorant lie.

As far back as 1495 the Benin Empire maintained a diplomatic presence in Portugal. This strategic relationship did not just stop at a mere mission but extended to areas such as education. Scores of young Benin men were sent out to Portugal to study and lots of them came back with advanced degrees in Medicine, Law and Portuguese Language, to name a few.

Indeed, some went with their Yoruba and Ibo slaves who served the sons of the Benin nobility while they studied in Portugal. These are facts that can be verified by the logs kept by ship owners in Portugal from 1494 to 1830. It is kept at the Portuguese Museum of Geographic History in Lisbon.

Why then would several Yoruba people peddle all these falsehoods to show that they are ahead educationally in Nigeria? The true facts from the Federal Office of Statistics on education tell otherwise, showing that 3 Ibo states for the past 12 years have constantly had the largest number of graduates in the country, producing more graduates than Ondo, Osun, Ekiti and Oyo states. These eastern states are Imo, Anambra and Abia. Yet he calls Ibos traders. Indeed, the Igbos dominate because excellence dominates mediocrity – truth.

Let me enlighten this falsehood’s mouthpiece even further: before the civil war Ibos controlled and dominated all institutions in the formal sector in Nigeria from the universities to the police to the military to politics:

• The first Black Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan was an Ibo man

• The first Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos was an Ibo man

• The first Nigerian Rector of the then Yaba College of Technology was also an Ibo man

• The police was run by an Ibo IG

• The military as a professional institution was also run by elite-ilk Ibos.

Facts can never be hidden. To be first does not mean you would win the race; let us open up all our institutions and may the best man win. Let us not depend on handouts or privileges but on heard work. Let us compete and give the best positions to our brightest – be it Ibo, Yourba or Fulani, and then we shall see who is the most successful Nigerian.

I find it difficult not to respond to some of these long-held lies that are constantly being peddled by Yorubas. One is that the Yoruba have the largest number of professors in the country. I would again ask that we stick to facts and statistical records. The Nigerian Universities Commission has a record of the state with the largest number of professors on their records and as at 2010 that state is Imo State followed by Ondo State and then Anambra State; the next state is Ekiti and then Delta before Kwara State. I am sure you Yorubas are surprised. When you sit in the South-West do not think others are sleeping but I wish to address another historical fact and that is who were the first Nigerians to receive Western education. It is important that these issues be examined in their historical context and evidence through research be presented for all to examine.

I have continued my research for as the great sociologist and father of modern sociology – Emile Durkheim – put it, the definition of a situation is real in its consequence . What this simply means is that one must never allow a perceived falsehood to become one’s reality and by extension individuals who accept a defined position act as though the situation is real and apply themselves in that narrowly defined perspective.

Why is this important to state it is because for long the Yoruba have peddled lies that have almost become accepted as the truth by other Nigerians but it is important that we lay down the facts for others to examine and come to their own conclusion for facts are facts. Let’s go back to education. Historically, Western education resulted as a product of indigenous ethnic groups interacting with the whites through trade. The dominant groups sold slaves, ivory gold and a host of other products to their European counterparts in exchange for finished goods – wine, tobacco, mirrors, etc.

The Bini who were the dominant military force from the 15th to the 19th century raided and sold other ethnicities to the Europeans. Top on the list of those they sold were the Yoruba, Ibo and Igala. Various other ethnicities suffered as a result of the Bini military expansion. And the Benin Kingdom stretched from present-day Benin up to what is now geographically referred to as Republic of Togo. Indeed, the influence of the Benin Empire extended to the banks of the river Niger to present-day Onistha. There are huge Yoruba settlements in the Anioma part of Delta State who fled Yoruba land as a result of these attacks and constant raids. Yes, there are Yoruba people who are currently living with Ibos in the Ibo-speaking part of Delta and they are full citizens of the place no one refers to them as strangers and there is no talk about the Ibos being the host community like we hear from the Governor of Lagos State. But let me return to research. Slaves were moved from the hinterland to the coast and many were sold through Eko to the New World. These slaves were the first to encounter the Europeans and by extension their way of life – this included education in a Western sense. The Bini King had taken pains to establish a diplomatic presence in Portugal and the relationship developed into areas that extended beyond trade in the late 15th century and lasted well into the early 19th century. Scores of young Bpni youth were sent to Portugal and studied there, coming back with advanced degrees in various disciplines. The next set of people to receive Western education were the slaves themselves. Some of them managed to buy their freedom and develop themselves further.

For the Ibo it does not matter who your father is; the question is: Who are you? Who was Obasanjo’s father? Was he the most educated Nigerian? I am sure the answer is no. Yet this Great Nigerian led this nation two times as a military Head of State and as a civilian President. What about GEJ? Who was his own father? Was he the first Nigerian to go to London? The answer is no. In fact, he had no shoes, yet he is fully in charge. So it does not matter if your father was the first Lawyer or first Doctor in Nigeria but rather what matters is what an individual does with the talents the Almighty has given to him. Let us open up Nigeria for competition. That is the solution to our problems. Those who want privileges keep reminding us that their fathers were the first to go to school in London. Every generation produces its own leaders and champions. Like Dangote who is the biggest employer of labour in Nigeria today and the richest man in Africa. Was his father the first to go to study in London? Yet he is the master of people whose parents gave them the best. My brothers, the answer to the Nigerian problem is that we should establish a merit-driven society.

Femi Fani-Kayode should stop exposing and disgracing himself as an half-baked graduate who lacks adequate research skills.......

I need more info pls.

osarogiepurr@gmail.com

Back in the days of ULTIMATE POWER MOVIES (Agbara-nla), the fear of "AYAMATANGA" is the beginning of funny nightmare.....

If you saw/watched that popular Christian movie "Agbaranla" in the late '90s and you thought the popular slang in the movie was "AYAMATANGA",

Sorry it wasn't"AYAMATANGA" but "I AM AT ANGER!".

Don't feel ashamed..

I didn't know myself until this evening.

Shortyy:
I can bet on my left boob that all the people that commented above didn't read the post.

why betting with ur sagged left boob na?.....we need virgins to say what u ve just confessed and not u.....

Crauxx:
How many masters does he have

Pls, ask urself....i smell hatred in ur blood. Just be careful.

Alhaji Femi Okunnu, 84 years, former Federal Commissioner for Works and Housing and a true-blood Lagosian SPOKE at Lagos @50. HE SAID:

. . . . There is no no-man’s land. There are always some people who are original settlers. In the case of Lagos, it’s a misnomer to say Lagos is a no-man’s land. It’s rubbish. Absolute rubbish! Lagos was peopled by the Aworis and Awori land spread from Badagry through to Ota. They settled mostly in Ikeja, a division of Lagos. The Idejo chiefs, the white cap chiefs, who are the land owning chiefs, are basically Aworis and some of them are now Obas. I’m talking about the Oniru, The Olumegbon, Aromire, Oluwa, Ojora, Oloto and a couple others. After them, waves of immigrants, from today’s Niger State, started trooping in. I’m talking of the Tapas, the Nupes. I have Nupe blood. My father’s mother was a daughter of a Nupe man, Umoru from Idunsagbe in Lagos Island. Mind you, I’m talking of my great, great, grand-father; so you can imagine how long we’re talking about and how far our history dates back in Lagos. The Oshodi family of Lagos were originally Tapa. My wife is an Oshodi; Oyekan Oshodi. The Chief Imam of Lagos and all his great grand fathers were Tapa, owing to their vast knowledge in the Quran. Now, you would not say they are not original Lagosians because we’re talking of a history that dates back well over three hundred years.

Later we had another batch of immi grants over a period of time – those who had been taken into slavery in the North and South America and the West Indies but who had been freed following the abolition of slave trade about 170 years ago. Some of them also came in from Freetown, Sierra Leone. That’s where we have the Saro, Eko connection. They settled in the Olowogbowo area.


Then we had the Binis from Benin (present Edo State). They invaded Lagos and settled in the best part of what we now call Isale-Eko. Oba Ado and all successive kings of Lagos are of Benin. You won’t say they are not Lagosians because we are talking of hundreds of years ago.

Yes, I was coming there. The Brazilian Quarters were made up of another set of returnees: the Agustos, the Dasilva, Marinho, Pereira and their descendants, who returned from Brazil and other parts of South America. So when you talk of indigenes of Lagos. These are the people who arrived Lagos Island and environment over two hundred years ago. So there is no controversy over the indigenes of Lagos. It is complete ignorance.

The Binis took over the reign of Lagos by conquest. The Aworis were there before them. They were the original settlers. Iga Idunganran itself was a gift to Oba Ado by Oloye Aromire, a white cap chief. He owned the land that the palace occupies till today. That is why till today, we have sections of Isale-Eko with Bini connections. When you hear of Idumota, Idunsagbe, Idunmaigbo, Idun-tafa; the word idun had bini origin. And then we had some chiefs who came with King Ado. That is another wide area. But suffice to say that Obanikoro, was a medicine chief who came with King Ado; so is Ashogbon. In Bini, it is Asogbon. There is also Bajulaye, who originally was Bazuaye. So the Bini connection is very deep. As a matter of fact, the corpses of all the obas, from King Ado through to Oba Adele I, who died at about 1834, were all taken to Benin for burial. . . . .

THE NATION 14 05 2017

lavivaavril:


You can even check wakanow. Egyptair is about 500k plus for two people, one way flight.

Wow....thanks for dis information....God bless!

Markab:
Www.egyptair.com

Thanks boss.....Jah bless

SlowlybtSurely:


Have you tried Egyptair?

I have not tried it. Please, how do i go about it?.
Thanks for your quick response.

SlowlybtSurely:


Have you tried Egyptair?

I have not tried it. Please, how do i go about it?.
Thanks for your quick response.

Good day to all my intellectual colleagues.

Pls, i want a good advice on where to get a flight ticket that is not too expensive to Canada from Nigeria. It's very important because I want a ticket myself and my wify.

Ur advice will be humbly appreciated.

I could observe unsafe act and unsafe condition around d work site being practised by d site workers including d governor himself.

Does it mean there was no HSE Officer on ground to caution d reckless governor and other workers about safe ethics before climbing d weak ladder without guard rails?. He even climbed happily without wearing hard hat on his head.....

Infact, Nigeria is a country with so many political hypocrites.....its so unfortunate!

realbummy:

I am interested in buying the safetyboots. I need 4 pairs urgently . I shall call u when I get home

It's alright. The safetyboots are still very available...

Israeljones:

as it stands yur problems are not my problem..
your messiah senator to me is a rogue and a well known criminal.. untill proven otherwise....
as a matter of fact, if you as an individual can be fighting for a tout and a well known corrupt rogue shows you not far from bin a criminal ur sef...
you will all suffer the consequences of ur actions weda u r involve directly or indirectly making this nation what it is 2day...you will all never go unpunished....
people have suffered because of people like u who follows these criminal called politicians based on hidden benefits,,, u n ur likes will always reap from the same agony hole u all dig.. take it or leave it.... ur time is coming..

Guy, abeg, u are making too much noise. If u have personal hatred against Dino, abeg trek go Abuja and settle ur case.

You can rant and bark like toothless bulldogs from now till eternity, Dino's case is SETTLED.

So, leave stories and boil some Kogi Beans.......na Naija u dey bros and not in Jamaica.

You guys likes over-exaggeration. Won't that one tell you it was a typo error.
Abeg, make una die dis Dino matter jare.

Aproko people everywhere on NL due to unnecessary hatred.

Gloryfox:
studied goegraphy not geography according to the list

Men don suffer!.......na d boobs wey men go dey kolo to suck be dat. Na wa oooo

I am still searching for the Prophet that said dollar will rise to 600 naira before falling rate will occur. Nigeria with different species... [color=#000099][/color]

Student125:
I weep for the future of this country after reading some comments here.. A mere politics was played with our intelligence and some people can not reason at all. Even though the VC said he (Dino) graduated, does that mean it can't be wrong? wait let me ask you, what were you expecting the VC to say, that he didn't graduate so that the school integrity can be tainted? knowing fully well this same guy his running his second degree in the same school. I believe the school will protect her reputationby saying otherwise even if found Dino did not graduate.
Before reasoning like cockroach, answer the following.
-what took the school so long to give a press release at d promised time(Wednesday)
-Dino was too forward to upload a pic with caption 99set, initially I thought he meant 99set graduate of ABU in kaduna NYSC camp, that would have been reasonable to guess he served BTW 2000 and 2001 bt with the VC claim that he graduated 2000, and his NYSC certificate carries 2001 begs a question: what does he mean with the caption 99 set.
-why the change of name many times,
This and many more questions makes me believe their is something fishy about his graduation. And mind you, Sahara reporter said he didn't graduate from onset that he forged his way out which still stand, even when the VC cleared him. Also if you are smart, you should deduce from the VC comment, he vindicated himself by saying from the 'available document' meaning those document can be genuine or fake.

Ogbeni, you talk too much. Go and fry some beans with your strength and analysis. Leave Dino alone and face your career. You people like prolonging issues as if you know too much.....

Abeg, make una kwayet jare!......

Many people dat are ranting today and accusing Dino about d certificate saga are also victims of [/b]Oluwole Certificate[b]. Your days are numbered for public disgrace.

So many people here entered tertiary institution through the back doors and graduated at d mercy of their Course lecturers, Faculty Officers, HODS and Deans.

Una come here come dey form like say una no block long awaiting carry-over courses and also squeeze big textbooks enter exam hall.

The matter be say, Dino is a GRADUATE of ABU, Zaria, the VC has publicly confirmed that, take it or leave it or better go and hug transformer. SR will learn dis time around to get facts cleared before jumping into conclusion.

Na who certificate epp for Naija?.....Afterall, some First class Graduates were denied and exempted from d recent Federal Government job. Abeg, make we face our business jare for national peace.

Nigeria has had her fair share of notable armed robbers like Dr Ishola Oyenusi and Abiodun Egunjobi who terrorized the entire South-west.

Lawrence Anini who dealt with the entire South-South.

And Here Is The Story Of Derico Nwamama who held the Entire South-East to a stand-still (Especially Anambra State).

His real name is Okwudili Ndiwe a.k.a Derico Nwamama!

Derico started out as a Street Urchin in Onitsha, then graduated to a pick pocket, and then to a dreaded Criminal whose mere mention of his name sent shivers down the spines of every single human being in the entire South East part of Nigeria.

THE RISE OF DERICO!

Indeed, long before Derico became famous for his Exploits in the City of Onitsha, The entire Anambra State was under the control of another Ruthless, Merciless and Cold Blooded Armed Robber known as Chiejina...
Under the Reign of Chiejina and his gang, all residents of Onitsha were living in fear.

Infact a Policeman once told me a horrifying story about Chiejina.

He said that on 16th of February 1999, two days after valentine celebration, Chiejina, acting on a tip off besieged a family in Onitsha hoping to get money from the man of the house, but unfortunately, the man didn’t come home with money, he had gone to the bank before going home.

Chiejina became so enraged that he grabbed the man’s 4months old son, threatened to throw the baby from a 3 storey building, and when the man and his wife weren’t forthcoming with his demands, he flung the baby from 3 storey building and shot the man twice in the head!

HE WAS THAT RUTHLESS!

Infact Reports have it that he forced families to have incest in front of him for his own amusement. He forced Fathers to sleep with their daughters and Mothers to sleep with their sons, Refusal meant death!

Derico and Chiejina were very good friends at that time and also colleagues in the Armed Robbery Business, friendship that started during the famous Umuleri/Aguleri War... But Derico was not based in Onitsha then, he was based in Abuja, the Federal Capital territory and only visited the east from time to time to carry out his robbery operations with maximum terror...

And after raining a torrent of bullets and gunfire upon the hapless and ill-equipped officers of the Nigerian Police and defenceless Nigerians, he would speed back to his safe haven, with his loot, safe on the laps of power, luxury and comfort.

But according to reports, wahala started in November 1999, when the then Obi Of Onitsha, HRH Obi Ofala Okagbue rallied Onitsha-Ado Youths to help curb the ever rising Crime in the City to enable indigenes who ran away to return for the Christmas Celebration of that year...

Ado youths then sat together with some of the notorious armed robbers to know how to settle them and have peace return to the City of Onitsha...

Chiejina and Derico were present in the meeting!

But after the meeting, the deadly Chiejina refused to stand down, infact he attacked some members of the Ado Youth and became even more Ruthless in the entire State!

Ado Youths sought the help of his bossom friend, Derico but it didn’t yield much fruit, so they decided to give him a taste of his own medicine!

They liaised with Derico and some special Police Officers to raid Chiejina and his gang. The Operation was not totally successful because Chiejina was not present at the time but members of his gang were rounded up and sent to The Central Police Station, Onitsha.

When Chiejina learnt what happened, he felt betrayed by his bossom friend, Derico, and without thinking about the consequences, called on his right hand man who also doubled as his bike man, Amobi, to take him straight to Derico’s parent’s house.

On getting there, he met Derico’s father and decorated the man with lots of bullets!!!

Derico heard about it and set out for revenge immediately, he ran into Chiejina close to Emmanuel Church at Ugwunokpamba road, Onitsha and pumped in lots of bullets into the Great Chiejina, and the Iroko of the Underworld fell into a gutter...

Derico then put Chiejina into a wheelbarrow and wheeled him to the Police Station at Isiokwe, Onitsha.

Unconfirmed report claimed that Chiejina didn’t die on the spot, that while in the wheel barrow, he begged Derico to kill him and not take him to the Police Station alive. Derico then obliged him and pumped in one final shot to end the evil reign of one of Nigeria’s meanest Criminals!

On getting to the Police Station, Officers were dancing and celebrating, they lifted Derico up as their Hero and celebrated him as the King Of The Town.

Little did they know that they just crowned a more wicked soul, the King and Protector of Onitsha!

INDEED THE DERICO YOU KNOW WAS “BORN” ON THE DAY HE KILLED CHIEJINA!

After the death of Chiejina, Derico became the undisputed Emperor of Terror in the Land. The Entire Anambra State was in soup and the environs will not be spared too!

At some point, Derico used the town of Umuleri as his hideout. Then from there, he would issue threatening messages to the police that they will pay for killing members of his gang. He also maintained bases in other towns like Agbor, Benin and Asaba.

Indeed, The traders in Onitsha could not display their wares with peace while many slept with one eye open. Derico sacked commercial banks in Onitsha, carting away millions of naira. Travellers who had to pass through the state held their breathes, expecting the hoodlum to strike at anytime.

The then Governor of the state, Chinwoke Mbadinuju, became an old man over night with worries on how to handle the menace of Derico.

He was described as the personification of terror. From Nnewi to Nkpor, down to Onitsha, up to Asaba, from the villages in Umuleri to towns in Ihiala, the old and the young, Men, women and Children were terrified at the mere whisper of Derico Nwamama.

He took over people’s Lands, Businesses, Wives and all his members including members of his family got away with anything cos they were related to him!

At that time, he was said to be invisible and could not be arrested.

According to reports, Derico Nwamama killed over 200 people including 25 police officers whose lives he mercilessly wasted. He was a master of countless bus robberies and will not blink twice before pumping his hot lead bullets into the beating hearts of helpless victims.

And after his successful raids, he would boast and declare himself invincible. Derico seemed to have placed a lot of faith and confidence in the charms prepared for him by the traditional witch doctors.

Indeed, Governor Mbadinuju was not the only one worried about the reign of terror perpetrated by Derico Nwamama as even President Olusegun Obasanjo was enraged that the criminal was left to unleash terror in a part of Nigeria.

The police were helpless and had lost many men to the dreaded bandit and seemed at wits end on what to do to bring him and his gang to book. In May 2001, the Anambra State Police Command launched the Operation Derico which was aimed at capturing Derico and his gang members at all cost.

The police managed to arrest some of Derico's men but he was still elusive as he kept operating with reckless abandon, robbing, killing and kidnapping innocent Nigerians.

THE END OF DERICO NWAMAMA!

In December 2000, Derico and his gang committed the worst crime known to man till date!

They attacked a 59-seater-Luxurious Bus filled to the brim at the Popular Upper Iweka.

The bus was about to leave for Lagos.

After robbing every single person in the bus, they decided to kill everybody on board! Including women and children, and mercilessly, the devil himself (Derico) gave the orders and his men shot all the passengers, execution style and left them for dead! (Only 4 people survived the ordeal)!

After that horrible incident, the then Governor of Anambra State, Chinwoke Mbadinuju didn’t have any other choice but to bring in the Dreaded Bakassi Boys to help save the State.

On Tuesday, July 3, 2001, (If this date is your birthday, then u deserve one bottle of whatever your brand plus one plate of Nkwobi cos that was the day Onitsha, and indeed Anambra State was liberated)!

On the 3rd of July, 2001, Derico was in a bus going from Agbor to Onitsha, on getting to the Onitsha axis of the Bridge Head, The Dreaded Bakassi Boys stopped the bus.

Sensing danger, The Crime Lord Jumped the Window to run away, but before he could make the first after jumping out, the nearest Bakassi member on the scene chopped off his left ear and that was how Derico was captured.

And For a man who thought he was above the law and could not be captured, it was funny how he started crying and pleading for his life. He was taken to Borromeo Hospital for treatment cos he was bleeding profusely.

When news of his capture broke, ever single human being in Anambra State celebrated as if it was the second coming of Christ!

Indeed, Derico met his end in the most awful manner. Before then, the Bakassi Boys had developed a terrible and blood chilling reputation for dealing with suspects and Derico's days were surely numbered from when he was caught.

On the 9th of July 2001, six days after Derico was captured at the Niger Bridge, the Bakassi Boys did to him what many had earlier predicted. Chanting war songs, they drove in their convoy around the town and ended at the Ochanja Market Junction along the popular Upper Iweka Road in Onitsha.

As their buses came to a halt, shouts of excitement and expectation rented the air. Many knew the fate that would befall Derico, so they all trooped to the spot to witness the final judgement on him.

Derico was dragged out from the bus, looking gaunt and severely beaten, a trademark of the vigilante group. His body bore cuts and gashes, a testament to what he must have gone through in their hands. He must also have known that the day of reckoning has come.

He was in obvious pains but no one seemed to care. Still chanting war songs and egged on by the enchanted crowd, one of the commanders of the Bakassi Boys named Okpompi, addressed the crowd, telling them they were in the state not for politics but to fight crime.

He handed over the microphone to the now trembling Derico who, like a coward, began begging for his life to be spared. He made feeble attempts at declaring his innocence:

“My name is Oddy, alias Derico, alias Nwa Mama. I appeal to you the people of Anambra State, please don’t kill me, I don’t like evil. It was when I killed Chiejina that people thought I am a strong guy, you know.

I trust Bakassi Boys. They are strong. Please, mercy for me. Nobody can identify me as having robbed him. People just believe that I am a strong guy.”

He confessed that while he was on the run, he was sheltered by a member of the National Assembly in Abuja. He also confessed that he had two other powerful protectors, one being a member of the Anambra State House of Assembly while the other was the chairman of a local government council.

What was to follow remains one of the most macabre displays of public executions in Nigeria. With the speed of a guillotine, a cutlass handled in the strong arm of one of the Bakassi Boys flew and came down with an unforgiving thud, landing on Derico’s slim neck. In a flash, Derico was beheaded.

TAKE A PAUSE AT THIS POINT AND PLACE YOURSELF ON THE SCENE! MIND YOU, THIS POPULAR DERICO WAS JUST 22 YEARS OLD WHEN HIS HEAD LEFT HIS SHOULDERS!!!

His severed head rolled on the floor before the crowd while his convulsing body collapsed on the ground, with bright-red blood gushing from his carotid arteries. It was like a sacrifice to the gods had just taken place.

The crowd was satisfied and as far as the Bakassi Boys were concerned, that was a clear lesson and message to any criminal bent on making life miserable for the Anambrarians.

With the lifeless remains of Derico still lying on the floor, the people erupted in jubilation, patting one another on the backs and exchanging mutual congratulations after a monstrously grotesque show of iron and blood. That was not the end.

Razor-sharp machetes flew from different directions and chopped his pitiful remains into sizable chunks. Derico’s mangled remains were heaped up, properly rinsed with fuel and set on fire.

AFTER HIS DEATH, LOTS OF MOVIES ABOUT HIM WAS MADE!

BUT HE WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS!!!

CRIME DOES NOT PAY!

Few months ago, it was Daddy Adeboye. Few weeks ago, it was Apostle Johnson Suleiman and now, it is Prophet T.B Joshua. Haba, what is going on around Christian communities.

So many hatred and persecutions from the other side.......Christians should wise up!

Few months ago, it was Daddy Adeboye. Few weeks ago, it was Apostle Johnson Suleiman and now, it is Prophet T.B Joshua. Haba, what is going on around Christian communities.

So many hatred and persecutions from the other side.......