The Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Olatunji Disu, on Monday, paraded two wanted leaders of Deygbam and Iceland Cult groups in Ogoni axis of the state.
He said after weeks of intense surveillance, on November 15, 2023, in separate crack operations, men of the Anti-Cultism Unit arrested Baridapdo Igia, 33 year-old and Elvis Gordon, 26 year-old, two suspected armed robbers and kidnappers in Kereken-Boue community of Khana local government area of the State.
Disu spoke while addressing journalists at the Police Command headquarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
He explained that after series of interrogations, the duo confessed to being leaders of Iceland and Degbam cult groups in Khana LGA, respectively, and had been terrorising the area for the past three years.
The Police Commissioner said the cult groups have been known to have endless clashes in the community.
Disu said during interrogations, the suspects also admitted to kidnapping and burying alive one Praise Daakian, a former CDC Chairman in Khana Local Government Area.
The Rivers Police boss explained that they murdered the victim after collecting the sum of NGN200,000 as part of payment for his ransom from the victim’s wife.
He said the duo also confessed to murdering nine other victims from 2021 to 2023 and were the main reason for the partial evacuation of the community within this same period while investigations were still ongoing to uncover the full scale of the suspects’ operations.
Disu also explained that the Command on November 16, 2023 at about 1pm, while on stop and search operation at Borikiri, Port Harcourt, intercepted one Boma Loveday aged 30 year-old, male, of Okirika Town in Okirika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
He explained that the suspect resisted being searched, but the officers on duty insisted as they were responding to a tip-off. Upon conducting a search, there was found in his possession a bag containing one AK47 Magazine loaded with thirty (30) rounds of 7.62 x 39mm live ammunition and some substances suspected to be hard drugs popularly called Ice or Mpurumiri while the suspect and exhibits were in Police custody as an investigation continued.
Disu said: “Meanwhle acting on my directives and credible information, operatives of the Command attached to C4i Intelligence, on 15th November 2023, at about 1pm, arrested one Emmanuel Essien, aged 31years and Marshal Ime aged 22 years, both from Etim-Ekpo, Akwa-Ibom State and resident, at No. 148 Victoria Street, Port Harcourt.
“Upon investigation/questioning, they confessed to being members of a four-man Armed Robbery syndicate responsible for terrorising parts of Port Harcourt in recent times. One of the suspects, Essien Emmanuel, disclosed to the Operatives that he had been arrested, charged to court and imprisoned three times for sundry offences.
“He had also been shot in the shoulder in a previous robbery operation at Trans-Amadi, a bullet wound he still bears,CP Disu stated
“The suspects further revealed that they snatch vehicles and sell them off to one Alhaji and several other buyers,the proceed of the last sale, which was a Lexus RX 300, fetched them 800,000 Naira, paid in two instalments.
“Items recovered from the suspects include two locally made Pistols with four live cartridges, a green-coloured Sienna with Reg. No. Lagos GGE 349
“Similarly operatives of the Command attached to Mini-Okoro Area Command, Port Harcourt, on 19th November 2023, at about 2200hrs while on patrol along Danjuma Drive, Trans Amadi, Port Harcourt, intercepted a Tricycle (popularly called Keke) with three occupants named Elsharawy Joseph aged 27years of Okujagu town, Trans Amadi, Port Harcourt, Thankgod Achese aged 23yearrs of Orumu street, Abuloma town, Port Harcourt and Ibrahim Ishaq aged 25yrs ‘m’ of Okwujagu, Port Harcourt, suspected to be cultists and armed robbers.”
