President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the demolition of the mansion of slain terrorist Chief Igwedibia Johnson, aka ‘General’ Don Waney, 34, in Omoku, the headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers, to deter criminals.
The mansion was demolished on Tuesday. The demolition was supervised by soldiers and policemen. No property or car was allowed to be taken out of the expansive premises prior to the demolition. Everything in the house, said the military, crushed in order not to be reminding the peace-loving people of the evils perpetrated by Waney and his gang members.
Governor Nyesom Wike, in his broadcast on Monday, stated that Johnson’s mansion would be taken over by the Rivers government, but the property was demolished by the Federal Government the next day.
A security chief earlier said in an exclusive interview: “The massive terror infrastructure of Don Waney had a detention facility, an armoury, a shrine and a warehouse for keeping of ransom from victims of kidnappings. The manhunt for Don Waney was abruptly halted when Wike’s administration notified security agencies that he had been given amnesty.
“Shortly after the amnesty offer, Don Waney and his militants returned to criminal activities, which led to the November 20, 2017 raid of his mansion, camp and shrines. Wike’s government should have allowed his (Johnson’s) infrastructure of terror to be brought down, which is the standard practice worldwide, to serve as a deterrent to other criminals.”
Johnson was killed in Enugu, Enugu State capital last Saturday, along with two of his lieutenants: Ikechukwu Adiele and Lucky Ode, by soldiers and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) from Rivers state, while their bodies were displayed to reporters on Sunday at the 6 Division of Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt .
The late Johnson masterminded the killing of 17 worshippers after crossover service on New Year’s Day in Omoku.
The outgoing General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 6 division, Maj.-Gen. Enobong Udoh, revealed that Johnson, from his Enugu’s new base, along with his gang members, were already planning another mayhem in Omoku.
The planned attack was to affect churches, schools, army and police.
The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations of 6 division, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, yesterday in a telephone interview, revealed that since the November 20, 2017 operation, soldiers had been guarding Johnson’s mansion, for the valuable property in the building not to be stolen or vandalised by locals.
Iliyasu also disclosed that no property or car was allowed to be taken out of the expansive premises by relatives of Johnson, prior to the demolition, with everything crushed, in order not to be reminding the peace-loving people of the evils perpetrated and atrocities committed by the terrorist and his gang members.
Deputy director, army public relations of 6 division, said: “From the day Don Waney ran from justice, he had forfeited all his property.”