Egberipapa, ex-militant leader, abducted in Rivers, two loyalists killed in Rivers
By Emma Ogbuehi
For yet to be disclosed reasons, gunmen dressed in army uniform have abducted a popular ex-militant leader, High Chief Sobomabo Jackrich, also known as Egberipapa.
He was reportedly abducted from his Usokun country home in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
However, the police while confirming that Egberipapa was not abducted said he was arrested by another security agency.
Rivers Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP. Grace Iringe-Koko, only said: “It is not kidnapping. He is with some security personnel. That is all I can say for now.”
A report in the Nation said sources close to the ex-militant leader disclosed that the gunmen stormed his home around 3am on Monday, killed two of his lieutenants and took him away to an unknown place.
Sources close to the ex-militant leader said the operation was conducted in a commando style with military vans and army Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) used to cordon off the home of the ex-militant leader.
One of his loyalists identified as Harry was certain that the military took his boss away to the barracks.
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He said: men, who drove in army vans, surrounded his house around 3am on Monday and took him away.
”They killed two people and evacuated their corpses. They took him to the barracks”, he said.
Though the motive for the arrest was not disclosed, some persons believe it could be in connection with the Okuama killing of soldiers in Delta State as the military widened its search for suspects and missing arms.
Jackrich was popularly known as Egberipapa in the creeks before he embraced the amnesty offered to repentant Niger Delta militants by the Federal Government.
Media aide to the ex-militant leader, Soibibo Sokari, confirmed the incident saying two of his loyalists were killed by the armed men.
Sokari said: “Yes it is true he was arrested this morning. Two persons were killed and their bodies carted away along with him. We are still following up the incident to get more details.
“We don’t know exactly who is behind it. But as the details unfold we will let the public know about it.”
Egberipapa, founder and leader of Kengema Unity Forum (KUF) and Network for the Defence of Democratic and Good Governance (NDDGG), had raised alarm last year over an alleged plot to frame him up by the then Rivers State government led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
He was then the governorship candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) in the 2023 elections.
He claimed that there were plots by the state government to frame him up with allegations of child molestation and rape, insisting then that the allegations were premised on his stand over the outcome of the presidential election in Rivers State.
Egberipapa, a former Asari Toru Local Government Area Caretaker Committee chairman, claimed that the plan to get him arrested was a ploy to truncate his governorship ambition.
