Derico Nwamama: The One-Year Reign Of Terror That Shook Anambra

Between 2000 and 2001, Okwudili Ndiwe, popularly known as Derico Nwamama, became the name that struck fear across Anambra State, especially in Onitsha and its environs. 

In just about 12 months, he rose from street urchin and pickpocket to one of Nigeria’s most notorious armed robbers and serial killers, leading a gang blamed for more than 100 civilian deaths and the killing of numerous police officers.

From street urchin to crime boss

Accounts from the period say Derico began on the streets of Onitsha before graduating to violent armed robbery. His gang did not hide. They attacked banks, police checkpoints and civilians in broad daylight, and became known for confronting law enforcement directly rather than avoiding them.

Traders, transporters and residents in Onitsha, Nkpor, Nnewi, Ihiala and nearby towns reportedly lived under constant fear. Some stories claim he would even send advance warnings before attacks to show that security agencies could not stop him.

By 2001, Derico was widely seen as the dominant crime boss in southeastern Nigeria after eliminating rivals. One widely circulated account, though not backed by court records, says he tracked down and killed a fellow feared criminal, Chiejina, after Chiejina allegedly murdered Derico’s father.

The crimes that defined him

Several incidents cemented Derico’s infamy:

- Upper Iweka luxury bus massacre, December 2000: Considered his most brutal attack. His gang reportedly stopped a Lagos-bound luxury bus at Upper Iweka in Onitsha, robbed the passengers, and executed most of them. Reports at the time said about 55 of the 59 passengers were killed, with only a few survivors.

- Repeated bank robberies: The gang carried out daring raids on banks in Onitsha, escaping with millions of naira at a time when police struggled to contain them.

- Killing of police officers: He was blamed for the deaths of around 25 police officers, often targeting patrol teams and checkpoints.

The violence created widespread panic. Markets shut early, night travel stopped, and residents began demanding urgent government action.

Capture and extrajudicial execution

Derico’s run ended in July 2001. After the Anambra State government invited them to help tackle violent crime, the zBakassi Boys tracked him down near the Niger Bridge in an intelligence-led operation and captured him.

Six days later, on July 9, 2001, he was publicly beheaded at the Ochanja Market square in Onitsha without trial. 

The execution drew mixed reactions. Many residents celebrated it as justice and relief from years of fear. Human rights organizations condemned it as an extrajudicial killing and a dangerous precedent for vigilantism.

Legacy:

Derico’s reign lasted barely a year, but its impact endured. His story is still cited in discussions about crime, security failure, vigilantism, and the rule of law in Nigeria.

While some details of his crimes are well documented in media reports from 2000-2001, others have slipped into local folklore. What remains undisputed is that for a brief period, one man’s gang brought Nigeria’s commercial hub of Onitsha to its knees, and his violent end became a turning point in how communities responded to insecurity in the South-East.