SaharaReporters has reliably gathered that Peregbakumo Oyawerikumo, also known as Karowei, a wanted militant warlord linked to several high-profile crimes in the Niger Delta region, was shot dead during a gunfight with security operatives following his arrest on Thursday.
Karowei, who masterminded the 2017 kidnapping and killing of British missionary Ian Squire in Enekorogha, Delta State, was apprehended by operatives of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta Safe, in Ogbobagbene community, Burutu Local Government Area.
Following his arrest, Karowei’s gang ambushed the JTF team in a bid to rescue him. In the resulting gun battle, he attempted to escape but was shot dead by operatives.
In a statement signed by Major Ibrahim Abdullahi, Coordinator of the Joint Media Campaign Centre, the JTF confirmed Karowei’s death, revealing it occurred during Operation EMBER SAFE — a seven-day clearance operation aimed at flushing out militants, kidnappers, and other criminals from the Niger Delta region.
The statement highlighted Karowei’s involvement in the kidnapping of four British nationals in 2017, the killing of one of them, and the deaths of four military personnel in an ambush in 2018. It also disclosed that after his arrest, Karowei led troops to his camp and attempted to convince gang members to surrender, before the situation escalated into a deadly gunfight.
Rear Admiral Apochi Suleiman, Commander of the JTF, commended residents of Burutu and Ekeremor LGAs for their support and called for continued cooperation to eliminate all forms of criminality in the region.
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