Jubilation in Rivers communities as Police arrest notorious cultists, armed robbers

…Gun down gang leader 4 years after declaring him wanted

Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt

There is widespread jubilation in communities of Bua Boue kingdom in Khana local government area of Rivers State following the arrest of suspected criminal gang members and cultists who have been terrorising the area for over two years.

The Rivers State Police on Sunday announced the arrest of five members of Dey-Well cult group terrorizing communities in Khana LGA.

The Command in a statement issued on Sunday by its Spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said the suspects who were arrested January 2, 2024, also engaged in burgling of residence of an army personnel in the area.

Iringe-Koko said the suspects, mostly natives of Gbam-Boue community in Bua Boue kingdom, Khana LGA, were apprehended following the Police response to intelligence reports of the gang’s operations in Gbam-Boue, Kono-Boue and other neighbouring communities and promptly arrested them.

“On January 2, 2024, the Police arrested five robbers who are members of the Dey-well cult group in Khana Local Government Area: 24-year-old Thank-God Francis, 26-year-old Bariakpe Itaa and 24-year-old Golden Felix, all from the Gbam Boue community in Khana LGA.
The Police responded to intelligence reports of the gang’s operations in Gbam-Boue, Kono-Boue and other neighbouring communities and promptly arrested them.”

The Rivers Police image maker mentioned Items recovered from the gang, after searching their houses to include; ”five pieces of military camouflage uniform, one pair of camouflage shoes, one military cap, one mobile police uniform, a small bag containing electrical tools, one live AK 47 7.6mm ammunition, one live cartridge, one solar panel, and some electrical wires suspected to have been stolen from one Gift Nuep ‘M,’ of Uegwere Boue Community, a serving military officer attached to Bornu State.”

In the same vein, the Rivers State Police Command said it busted a notorious robbery and cult camp of one General Silas Oderereke, in Oderereke, Ahoada-West Local Government Area of the state.

Spokesperson of the command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko in a statement made available to Journalists on Sunday said the suspect, General Oderereke who is the leader of Greenlanders cult group in Ubie kingdom of Ahoada West LGA had been on the run for the past four years and evading arrest having been declared wanted by for his criminal activities in the area.

SP Iringe-Koko, disclosed that the terror whose reign came to over the weekend after he resisted arrest and opened fire on the police, which resulted to his death.