Suspected notorious cult leader Barikui Amanyie, 35, has been arrested by a detachment of police officers after a manhunt to capture him was declared.

Spokesperson of the police command in Rivers, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the arrest of the ‘Iceland’ cult leader in a statement in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

She said Mr Amanyie, popularly known as ‘Lawyer’ and together with his suspected murderous gang, were responsible for several attacks and killings of innocent victims in the state.

“Amanyie, who hails from Kaanii in the Khana area of Rivers, has been on the command watchlist since December 31, 2021, after he and five others murdered Mr Lioneda Lebari.

“Lebari was tracked by the gang after he withdrew his annual savings of N150,000 from a local thrift collector.

“The deceased was tracked to Oil Mill Junction, attacked, robbed, and stabbed multiple times by Amanyie and his gang before they (hoodlums) left him to die from his wounds, “ the police spokesperson said.

Ms Iringe-Koko said after the matter was reported to the police, a manhunt was launched to arrest the perpetrators.

She said the state Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu, upon assuming duties, directed all tactical units and divisions to intensify efforts to apprehend all wanted criminals.

“Before Amanyie’s arrest, he had been hiding and switching hideouts regularly to evade arrest.

“However, on December 20, our anti-kidnapping unit responded to a tip-off and apprehended the suspect in his hideout at Eleme area of the state,” she added.

The police spokesperson said items recovered from the suspect were locally made pistols and other items believed to be charms.

She said the suspect had confessed to the crime and had already been charged on two-count charges of murder and cultism.

According to her, the police command had also intensified efforts to apprehend other fleeing members of the murderous gang.

“The commissioner of police has charged officers not to relent in the campaign against crime as the command gains ground on crime and criminality in the state,” Ms Iringe-Koko added.

(NAN)