[b]**CONTINUES**
[color=green]The hunt for the deadly Derico[/color]
Governor Mbadinuju was not the only one grave with a volley of bullets. After the death of Chiejina, Derico became the undisputed emperor of terror in the land.
The hunt for the deadly Derico
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.
[color=green]Bakassi Boys to the rescue[/color]
With the police and other security forces unable to bring Derico Nwamama and his terror regime to a close, the onus fell on the Bakassi Boys, the militant wing of the Anambra Vigilante Services (AVS), a local vigilante group set up to curb crime and criminality in the Sout East.
The group were then at the forefront of the hunt and capture of Derico Nwamama and on Tuesday, July 3, 2001, the hitherto invisible criminal was nabbed on his way to Onitsha from Agbor, ostensibly on one of his crime spree.
The news of his capture and ‘triumphant’ entry to Onitsha was like a wild fire as the town erupted in joy amidst wild cheers.
As was their trademark, the Bakassi Boys drove in a motorcade around the town, displaying their prized possession, brandishing their machetes, dane guns and charms, to the admiration of the people who knew that the end of their fearful existence had ended.
They trooped into the city to catch a glimpse of the man who had turned their lives into a nightmare.
The Nigerian Police requested that Derico be handed over to them so they could continue with the investigation and eventual prosecution but the Bakassi Boys simply ignored the request.
They would handle the matter their way and that was instant justice for a man who had tormented the people long enough. They also did not trust the police to do justice to him.
The end of Derico
For a man who thought he was above the law and could not be captured, 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 July 9, 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.
Bakassi Boys strong man, Okpompi
He handed over the microphone to the now trembling Derico who, like a cornered fox, 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
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To be continue[/b]
