An alleged notorious kidnapper and militant, Prosper David alias ‘Militant General’ was killed on Wednesday by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police’ (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT).
The militant was killed during a gun battle with the operatives at his hideout in a creek in Bayelsa State.
An AK47 rifle, a magazine, 26 rounds of live ammunition, four expended ammunition and one Nokia phone belonging to his kidnap victim with which ransom negotiation was done were recovered.
Although the notorious militant had earlier surrendered arms and enrolled into the Presidential Amnesty Programme, it was gathered that he was running a militant group underground and usually collected between N1 million and N2million from each vessel passing through Nembe creek to the high seas.
The police also arrested three suspects including the kingpin’s driver, Johnson Denis, who had one of the kingpin’s phones, Benjamin Johnson and Anthony Joshua between February 21 and Wednesday.
It was gathered that the police had trailed the kingpin since December last year following the kidnap of a businesswoman, Tina Bob-Manuel.
According to the police, Militant General and his gang kidnapped the woman on November 22, at her shop located at 107, Nvuigwe Road, Woji, in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.
They were said to have gone there in an ash-coloured Honda Pilot vehicle around 1:30 pm in police uniform and kidnapped her.
It was gathered that the kidnappers collected N6million and $1,000 ransom in two instalments before they released the victim on February 21, at Odua Local Government Area.
It was gathered that the woman’s family first paid N2million and $1,000 on December 1, but with the refusal of the kidnappers to release her, another N4million was paid them on December 14.
With the release of the victim, it was gathered that the police swooped on the kingpin’s driver, through the telephone inside his Highlander Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).
He was arrested and he led detectives to ‘Militant General’s’ residence at Victory Estate, Azikoro in Yenagoa last December, but the kingpin, it was gathered, had moved his family and gone underground.
Confirming the incident, police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, an Assistant Commissioner (ACP) said: “After about 90 days of painstaking intelligence gathering with assistance from Technical Intelligence Unit (TIU), the suspect was traced to his rented apartment at Asiri in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
“On sighting the police, he ran into the ceiling from where he engaged the operatives but was neutralised and fatally injured. Serious efforts are in top gear to arrest other gang members and recover more arms.”
