The Police have arrested Desmond Okotubo, one of the principal suspects in the murder of innocent people at Omoku, in Rivers State on 1 January, 2018.

Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, Jimoh Moshood, while parading the suspect on Thursday said when the 1 January killings occurred, the Inspector General of Police, IGP set up a special Police joint investigation team, comprising the IGP-Intelligence Response Team, the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, Force Department of Operations and the Rivers State Police Command to immediately unravel those behind the killings and bring them to Justice.

He said the IGP-Intelligence Response Team attached to the Joint Police Special Investigation Team engaged some of the suspects in their hideouts at Awara Forest boundary between Imo and Rivers States, with the shootout lasting several hours, resulting in the death of six of the suspects while others escaped with bullet wound injury to other locations in Rivers, Delta, Imo and Bayelsa States and that the Police Teams were currently on their trail.

“The IGP-Intelligence Response Team working on an actionable intelligence further identified Desmond Okotubo who escaped on the 3rd January, 2018 to Abuja after a shootout with the police team in a location in Imo State, he was trailed to Mpape in Abuja where he was arrested after serious resistance on the 9th January, 2018.

“This principal suspect, Desmond Okotubo, is a Native of Egbenma from Unelga LGA Rivers State confessed to be one of the masterminds of the gang and actively participated in the killings of innocent people in Omoku, Rivers State on the New Year day. He further gave details of how they planned the Operation in Awara Town, Imo State before they carried out the act,” he said.

According to Moshood, Okotubo also revealed to the Police how their Gang leader, Don Wanny gathered them and briefed them on the night of 31st January, 2017 on the mission to attack and kill the residents of Omoku town.

“Thirty of them armed with over 20 AK47 Rifles crossed the river from Awara to Omoku forest and  proceeded to Omoku town and opened fire on innocent Citizens celebrating the new year,” he added.