Tobias Sylvester
The Nigerian Army has denied reports that its soldiers arrested a suspected notorious cult leader, popularly known as Bobrisky in Gokana local government area of Rivers State.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike while addressing leaders of Rumuolumeni community at the Government House last Friday, announced that soldiers had arrested Bobrisky.
Bobrisky’s capture cames less than twenty-four hours after Governor Wike promised to pay thirty million naira to anybody with information that could lead to the arrest of the notorious cultist.
Governor Wike, who made the announcement of Bobrisky’s capture, said: “The army has captured Bobrisky of Gokana. I will pay the bounty that I promised to the Nigerian Army. Anyone who generates insecurity in Rivers, I am ready to pay any amount to ensure the arrest of that person.”
But the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, debunked the claim, challenging the governor to parade the criminal to validate his claim. An army source in the division said:
”Let me confide in you that Bobrisky has not been arrested. I do not know what Governor Nyesom Wike intends to gain by lying and misleading members of the public. Since Gov. Wike insists that Bobrisky has been arrested by his army, not the Nigerian Army, let him parade Bobrisky on Saturday (today), Sunday or Monday.
With the lie by Governor Wike and the press statement by his media aide, Bobrisky will escape from Nigeria or he may go underground. The truth remains that Bobrisky has not been arrested.”
Speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 6 Division, Colonel Aminu Illiyasu, said soldiers did not arrest the suspected cult leader or any other cultist in Gokana local government area. Illiyasu said:
“We don’t know what they are talking about. If such thing has happened, I would have been the first to inform you.
“When we got Don Wanny, I sent you pictures and the statement as early as 4:00am in the morning, because I couldn’t get all of you to come and take pictures yourself”.
“When we got Mene, I sent the statement and pictures to you even before you started calling me. But, the issue of Bobrisky, we don’t know anything about it”.
“If the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army was involved, I wouldn’t have waited for you to call before passing the information to you.”
