Michael Christopher Coke AKA Dudus was born March 13, 1969. His father, Lester Coke AKA Jim Brown, was formerly the leader of the Shower Posse gang, which earned its name from the "shower" of automatic gunfire it often sprayed into its victims' bodies. In 1987, Dudus father was deported from the U.S. for allegedly setting up cells of the Shower Posse in dozens of American cities; he died in a Jamaican prison in 1992 waiting extradition to US on murder and drug trafficking charges. Coke’s brother, Omar, was one of two alleged cop killers shot by police after they reportedly gunned down a police corporal at the intersection of West Kings House and Waterloo roads in May 2003. Prior to that, Mark Anthony Coke, his elder brother, was gunned down in 1992.It's speculated that Dudus sister was also killed by gunfire. Dudas has four children, and according to The Gleaner, whom have all been been removed from the Tivoli Gardens neighborhood.
Dudus major business ventures are Incomparable Enterprise and Presidential Click. Both have been successful, and according to the Gleaner, Incomparable Enterprise has received millions in state contracts, and the Presidential Click company continues to hold some of the country's largest street parties and music events.
In 1988, The New York Times reported that the Shower Posse controlled an estimated 40percent of the crack cocaine market in the United States. A Justice Department report last year said Jamaican gangs like the Shower Posse now work in many North American cities to distribute marijuana and cocaine they obtain from Mexican and Colombian traffickers. In March, Vivian Blake, the former head of Shower Posse's U.S. operations, died of a heart attack.
The US State Department, last August, dispatched a 10-page indictment accusing Coke of the illicit trafficking of arms and drugs, as well as conspiracy, and requested that he be extradited to face the charges. The US had named nine co-conspirators who had cited Coke as a major player in the arms and drug-running scheme. Prime Minister Bruce Golding announced on Monday night that Lightbourne would be signing the extradition order.
Dudus is described as Jamaica’s most powerful man, an alleged drug lord with close ties to the island’s Government, revered as a god-like benefactor in the Kingston district that he rules — and wanted in the US as one of the world’s most dangerous criminals.
Christopher “Dudus” Coke inspires such loyalty in the impoverished neighbourhoods of west Kingston, a stronghold awash with automatic weapons, that thousands of his followers have vowed to fight to the death if police try to extradite him to America.
“After God, then Dudus,” one resident’s sign read. “Jesus died for us so we will die for Dudus,”
Such devotion appeared to become bloody reality yesterday after troops and police stormed Mr Coke’s Tivoli Gardens neighbourhood stronghold to hunt for him. By last night, after heavy gun battles, at least 60 people had died, mostly civilians.
When Bruce Golding, the Jamaican Prime Minister, who represents the Tivoli Gardens district in Parliament, announced last week that, after nine months, he would enforce a US extradition request for the alleged drug kingpin, protesters took to the streets. Even fire bombing a police station in Hannah Town.
It is a sad day in Kingston Jamaican, and many fear this is just the beginning. For many days it appeared Dudus' thugs had control in Tivoli Gardens, and had shot and injured many soldiers and police men. The backlash to that is that the fire they returned back also hit innocent people. Downtown Kingston has been terrorized and looted. The country is said to have provided bus transportation for citizens who are considered to be law-abiding and want to get out of Tivoli Garden. However many have expressed a fear for their life if and when they return, if they leave now without helping the community fight for Dudus.
Major airlines including Air Jamaica have issues travel advisories, as well as cancelled and rescheduled many flights. New anchors in Jamaica are warning tourist especially from the US and Canada to stay in their resorts or respective safe dwellings.
Many wonder if one man is worth so much controversy. His extradition has caused the death of many civilians and police and soldiers also, and the numbers continue to rise.
The Security Forces have taken over Tivoli Gardens, but still, there is no sign of Dudus. Many speculate he may have already left the island, or be in a remote location on another part of the island. Updates as they become available.
Sources include: Times online, AOL, CNN, Jamaica Gleaner, CVJ, Sunday Herald JA, Rawtid TV, Jamaica Observer, Air Jamaica
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