Nigeria gang leader dies in shootout with police

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria, May 27 (Reuters) - A Nigerian gang leader was killed in a gun battle between members of his group and police on Wednesday in southern Bayelsa state in the Niger Delta, police said.

Ken Niweigha was arrested on Tuesday after he was involved in a car accident in the town of Odi in Bayelsa state. He had escaped from prison when he was on trial accused of the 1999 killing of several police officers.

Police said it was unclear who killed Niweigha who was shot as he escorted police to his hideout near the state capital, Yenagoa.

"His gang members opened fire on us in the outskirts of Yenagoa. In the shootout, Ken was killed," said Iniobong Ibokette, spokesman for the Bayelsa state police command. A security source said Niweigha did not have direct links to Nigeria's most prominent militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which has declared an "all-out war" against the country's security forces.

But he is believed to have been involved in attacks on the oil industry before MEND burst onto the scene in early 2006. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: africa.reuters.com/ ) (Reporting by Austin Ekeinde; Writing by Randy Fabi; Editing by Nick Tattersall and Sophie Hares)