Kokori Residents Celebrate as President Tinubu Grants Amnesty to Convicted Kidnap Kingpin Kelvin Oniarah

Residents of Kokori community in Delta State erupted in celebration following news that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has granted amnesty to convicted kidnap kingpin, Kelvin Oniarah, popularly known as Kelvin Ibruvwe.

Oniarah, aged 44, was a notorious figure in Nigeria’s criminal underworld, once leading a gang responsible for multiple kidnappings, armed robberies, and attacks on security personnel across several states, including Delta, Edo, Rivers, and Anambra.

He gained national attention after masterminding the abduction of prominent lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), on August 24, 2013, along the Auchi–Benin highway. His gang was also linked to the kidnapping of a judge of the Edo State Judiciary, a senior Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) official, and Dr. Chudi Nwike, a former Deputy Governor of Anambra State, who was reportedly killed while in captivity.

Kelvin was arrested on September 25, 2013, by a combined team of the Nigerian Army and Department of State Services (DSS) operatives, weeks after issuing a 60-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to release some of his detained gang members or face violent repercussions.

Following his conviction, he was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. However, after serving 12 years, he was among inmates recently pardoned under President Tinubu’s amnesty initiative aimed at decongesting prisons and granting clemency to select offenders.

Since his release, Kokori community residents have reportedly expressed joy and relief, welcoming Oniarah back home after over a decade behind bars.

While the decision has sparked celebrations locally, it has also stirred debate nationwide, given Oniarah’s violent past and the impact of his criminal activities on victims and security forces.