Derico Nwamama remains one of the most dreaded humans that has ever walked on the Igbo soil.

 

Derico Nwamama remains one of the most dreaded humans that has ever walked on the Igbo soil.

Derico started up his career as a minor pick pocket, and soon graduated to an arm.ed robber.

His base was Abuja, but he frequently visited Anambra, his state to carry out his criminal activities and disappear back to his safe. have in Abuja with his loots in grand style.

During that time, Derico was close friend to a more notorious criminal, Chiejina.

Chiejina was more like the Lord of the gangs of crim.inals.

History has it that Chiejina was very ruthless.

The story of how he flung a 3 or 4 months old baby from a three storey building because it’s parents did not have any money to give to him is one that still stings the heart of many.

He still went ahead to s.hoot the baby’s father in the head.

Chiejina made family members commit incest while he watch in amusement.

He made father’s sleep with their daughters, mothers sleep with their sons and brothers sleep with their sisters.

Refusal to do his bidding meant death.

Chiejina, whose name translates to ‘May night not come’

Had his night come when he and Derico, his close friend started up a war.

Chiejina, after learning that Derico had a hand in attacking his gang men, angrily rode in a bike with Amobi his bike man to Derico’s father’s house, where he decorated the man with tens of bul.lets causing his dea.th

Derico learnt of this and went in search of Chiejina.

Derico succeeded in ki.lling the dreaded Chiejina.

He took what remained of Chiejina to the police, who celebrated him as the ‘hero’

The people of Anambra celebrated the new born hero.

But unknown to them, something that was more dange.rous than Chiejina was being born.

That day, they crowned the Derico Nwamama that I am about to tell you about.

After Derico kil.led Chiejina, his ego grew.

Chiejina was a big Iroko which seemed to be indestructible.

Derico whose song was sang by the Anambra people for bringing the end of their greatest fear,

Soon became the reason everyone slept with one eyes opened.

Derico did not only rob, he went ahead to ki.ll his victims for no reason.

Derico’s family members committed cri.mes too and went away with it because they are related to Deri.

They took people’s land, wives and properties.

One of the mass mass.acre carried out by Derico was his attack on a luxurious bus carrying 59 passengers,

The bus was about to leave Upper Iweka, when Derico and his gangs attacked.

They collected every valuables from the passengers,

And as though that was not enough,

Derico ordered his boys to p.ump bul.lets into the victims.

Only 3 passengers lived to tell their story.

He kill.ed Children, women and men.

Just like Anini, Derico was perceived to be invisible.

He spent a fortune in the hands of wit.ch doctors who cooked him in various ite ogwu ( jazz pots).

Derico kil.led about 25 Nigerian police men and over 200 civilians.

He was a threat to everyone.

Chinwoke, the then-governor of Anambra state decided to contract a group of sorcerers vigilante groups known as Bakasi boys ( Isakaba).

The Bakasi boys were renowned for their ability to use African magic to capture evi.ldoers.

On the 3rd of July, 2001,

The Bakasi boys got intel that Derico would be travelling from Agbor to Onitsha,

They laid an ambush at the head bridge.

They stopped the bus which Derico was in,

He must have sensed the danger and jumped out through the window to escape.

But he ran out of luck, he was apprehended by the boys.

One of his ears was cho.pped for a start.

He was taken to the Boromeo hospital to ease the profuse bleeding.

The police demanded that the Bakassi boys hand Derico over to them for further investigations.

But the Bakassi boys would not trust the police.

On the 9th of July, 2001, The Bakassi boys paraded Derico round Onitsha and finally halted in Ochanja.

This brought a large crowd to Ochanja.

The people were happy that their ter.ror was coming to an end.

Many people saw Derico for the first time.

He looked different from what they had expected.

He was just 22 years and a sm.all human being.

When he was given a megaphone to address the crowd,

He cried for help and begged that the residents of Anambra should pardon him for he isn’t as ba.d as they think.

“My name is Oddy, alias Derico, alias Nwa Mama. I appeal to you the people of Anambra State, please don’t kil.l me, I don’t like ev.il. It was when I ki.lled Chiejina that people thought I am a strong guy, you know.
I trust Bakassi Boys. They are strong. Please, mercy for me. Nobody can identify me as having rob/bed him. People just believe that I am a strong guy.”

These were the exact words of the injured and trembling Derico before his head left his body.

Just like the lightening Of Kamalu the god of Thunder, One of the Bakassi boys hacked the tiny neck of Derico that it rolled off his shoulder and his convulsing body oozed blo.od.

In turn, his remains were chopped and set abl.aze.

The crowd rejoiced and patted one another back.

Many young boys who wanted to take Derico’s lead, learnt a lesson.