13/03/2023
Rise and fall of Derico Nwamama, a notorious criminal who terrorized Eastern Nigeria.
His real name was Okwudili Ndiwe, he was 22 years old and went by the nickname "Derico Nwamama." He hailed from Onitsha, Anambra State, and had worked his way up from pickpocket to feared crime lord.
Before DERICO became well-known, he k!lled Chiejina, a hoodlum who was from Aguleri in Anambra State. Derico who based in Abuja only traveled to the East to cause havoc, then return to his base with his loot after a successful operation. In the past, Derico's major hiding places were the communities of Ụmụleri in Anambra and Agbor in Delta States. From there, he would write letters to the police threatening them for the de@th of his gang's members.
He so much believed in the charms his native doctors had made for him, and consistently bragged about his invincibility, asserting that no man born of a woman could ever k!ll him.
Deri, as he was also known, robbed banks, stole millions of Naira, and k!lled numerous people while he did so. He and his nefarious gang also robbed luxurious interstate buses. Derico att@cked a 59-seater bus traveling from Lagos in December 2000 at the Upper Iweka in Onitsha. He made the decision to k!ll all of the passengers after robbing them. Only four people survived it. Derico became a big thre@t, and Chinwoke Mbadinuju (Odera), the governor of Anambra State at the time, had no way to deal with him because he was rumored to be invisible and impossible to apprehend.
The Anambra State Police Command formally initiated "Operation Derico" in May 2001. The manhunt's goal was to apprehend the renegade Derico and his gang members. Derico remained evasive as he continued to plunder, k!ll at will, and abduct people for ransom. The police did manage to capture some of Derico's guys, most notably Amobi, his bike driver.
Governor Mbadinuju invited BAKASSI BOYS after police and other security personnel failed to apprehend Derico Nwamama. Derico att@cked a police station in June 2001 in order to steal guns for an Asaba bank robbery. He also started collaborating with other gangs to carry out de@dly robberies. The Nigerian Police and the Bakassi Boys turned the heat up on him one particular morning. He managed to flee after they unexpectedly att@cked his Abuja home, but two of his warriors were k!lled in the operation. Derico made the desperate decision to live a nomadic lifestyle because he believed that the Bakassi Boys' involvement put his life in grave risk.
The Bakassi Boys received a tip during one of his trips, so they set up an ambush that resulted in his capture. The Bakassi Boys got the information that Derico was traveling from his hiding place in Agbor to Onitsha on a fateful Tuesday, July 3, 2001. They set up a formidable ambush at the Onitsha Head Bridge. He was arrested inside a bus. The news of his capture sent Onitsha into a frenzy of celebration.
The Nigerian Police asked for his release so they could investigate and charge him, but the Bakassi boys didn't believe the police would do him justice. Six days after Derico was arrested, on July 9, 2001, the Bakassi Boys drove their convoy through Onitsha town before stopping at the Ochanja roundabout.
They brought out Derico and people crowded the scene to see the man who had made their lives into a living nightmare.
Derico was given a microphone to speak to the people. He said, "My name is Oddy, Please don't k!ll me, ndi Anambra, I beg of you. I have k!lled "Many," but please don't k!ll me. I will repent because I don’t like evil, he said. The only time people felt I was a strong guy was when I k!lled Chiejina.
I believe the Bakassi Boys; they are powerful. Please have mercy on me, he pleaded piteously.
Immediately the Bakassi Boys did what is still regarded as one of Nigeria's most horrifying public ex*****on shows. One of the Bakassi Boys raised a cutlass, which fell on Derico's frail neck with an awful thud. Derico Nwamama was behe@ded in the blink of an eye.
The crowd shouted in approval and sang songs of praise to the Bakassi boys. Derico's body was cut into pieces and set on fire.
