By Brave Dickson

A security expert, Godspower Ipianeh has knocked the kidnappers’ of Channels TV correspondent, Joshua Rogers in Rivers State, describing the act as condemnable.

Rogers has been confirmed to have been freed after spending over 24 hours in the custody of his captors.

Ipianeh wondered why hoodlums would think of kidnapping journalists who are informing the public of what happens within the society.

“How much do journalists have that would make kidnappers target them? I condemn the kidnapping of Joshua Rogers in strong terms,” he said.

Rogers who was abducted from his home in Rumuosi within the Obio/Akpor axis of Port Harcourt on Thursday.was reported to have been released unhurt around 10:pm on Friday.

It was gathered that he was seized by gunmen around 9:pm on Thursday as he returned from an official assignment at the Government House, Port Harcourt.

The criminals intercepted him and forcefully took him away in a Channels Television-branded vehicle.

By Tina Amanda

Peter ‘Daddy’ Chukwu, a.k.a Oboni, a notorious gangster and the executioner general of the Iceland cult group in Mgbuoshimini community in Obio Akpor local government area, Rivers State, has been neutralized by the Rivers State Police Command.

The infamous criminal who is a native of Omoku in Rivers State and a fierce loyalist to the ill-famed cultist and kidnap kingpin, the late Johnson Igwedibia popularly known as ‘Don Waney: was apprehended on 5 April 2024, in Asaba Delta State by the intelligence response team of Rivers State Police Command and Delta state Police Command.

Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, CP Olatunji Disu in a press briefing on Thursday, April 11, 2024, at Police headquarters Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, said the cult leader was trailed to his hideout in Delta State in the house of his spiritualist where he went to fortify himself, after escaping from the Police in a hotel in Igwuruta, Rivers state on March 6, 2024.

CP Disu said the hoodlum put up a serious resistance but was overpowered by the Police’s superior firepower which resulted in his death.

“Peter ‘Daddy’ Chukwu, a.k.a Oboni, was a notorious gangster whose criminal enterprise was multi-faceted, bordering on cultism, kidnapping, murder, and assassination, among other crimes. He rose to prominence in 2017 when he was made the executioner-general of the Iceland cult group in the Mgbuoshimini community of Rivers State. This role was conferred on him by the notorious cultist and kidnap kingpin, Johnson Igwedibia, popularly known as ‘Don Waney’.

“Peter Chukwu built a base of operation in Mgbuoshimini, a suburb in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State, from where he recruited an army of young men who carried out his whims to the letter. With a massive following of cultists behind him, he launched a syndicate that served as assassins for hire, armed robbers, and gun runners.

“He always had a hit list that included persons who had offended or challenged him, those he considered a threat, and those he had been paid to assassinate. Such was the nature of his villainous mind that at the mentioning of his name, people trembled.

“As his acclaim grew, he became a menacing presence in the community and began wreaking havoc indiscriminately. On May 6, 2017, he murdered the secretary of the Rumueme Council of Chiefs, Chief Minikwu Chukwu, and one Jaja Optimist while they were gathering for a routine town meeting. Within the same month, he executed another community leader, Chief Mgbor.

“He continued his onslaught on those he had earmarked for destruction, and on July 30, 2017, Baridule Cletus Dunle was shot dead, while on October 4, 2017, Godspower Aligbo and Dickson Gogo-Jaja had their lives snuffed out by his men.

“On October 9, 2017, at about 3 am, he and his gang attacked the abattoir area of the Mgbuoshimini community and murdered 22 people in cold blood, burning some of their victims alive. This act caused the Police to declare him, and eight (8) others wanted. Consequently, he fled the community and went into hiding.

“He, however, resurfaced in 2023 and began another reign of terror. He set up another base in Mgbuoshimini as his previous base had been demolished after the crises that followed the massacre he perpetrated in 2017.

“On his return, he arrogated himself the position of chief adjudicator in the community and would frequently force people with disputes to appear before him. On one such occasion on January 2, 2023, he seized two residents of the community, Sunny Amadi and Victor Alabo, who he alleged had stolen phones. They were promptly brought before him, and subjected to torture through binding and severe beatings. He then proceeded to use a razor to chop off their ears.

“Two days after the mutilation of the two men, on January 4, 2023, he invited Grace Asuquo to appear before him because he had received reports that she had stolen a phone. She did not honor his invitation for fear of his irrationality, which offended him. He commanded his boys to arrest her and bring her before him. When she was brought before him, he tortured her for a long time, eventually murdering her. He dumped her lifeless body in front of her father’s compound.

“Peter ‘Daddy’ Chukwu was also complicit in assassinations for hire. His gang was contracted to assassinate one Victor Golor, and in two attempts on December 12, 2023, and January 6, 2024, they failed to exterminate the target. However, on the 6th of March 2024, they succeeded in detonating explosives at the target’s hotel after installing a digital Apple tracker in his Toyota Hilux truck. Such was his sophistication that he had a network of informants at his beck and call and used tracking devices to tail potential victims.

CP Disu however noted that the deceased became a serious concern to the Police Command when he murdered the Community Development Council (CDC) Chairman of Mgbuoshimini, Ndidi Livingstone.

“Daddy became an item of deep interest to the current commissioner of police, Rivers State Police Command, Olatunji Disu, when, on the 13th of January, he and his murderous band shot and killed the Community Development Council (CDC) Chairman of Mgbuoshimini, Ndidi Livingstone, as he was stepping out of the auditorium of Peculiar Faith Ministries, Rumueme after a church service.

“After the dastardly act, they sped off in a waiting black SUV which the police have now recovered. The notorious gangster killed the CDC chairman because he collaborated with other stakeholders in establishing a local vigilante group known as OSPAC, aimed at safeguarding the community.

“During a visit to the widow and family of the slain community leader, the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, CP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, directed a nationwide manhunt for the killers. Thus, an extensive search for them began. The manhunt narrowed when investigations and intelligence revealed that Peter ‘Daddy’ Chukwu was the mastermind behind the killings.

“After learning of the location of his hideout, on March 16, 2024, at about 1 a.m., operatives of a special task force of the Rivers State Police Command, comprising of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and operatives of the state command, attempted to arrest him. The suspect narrowly escaped by bursting through the ceiling and roofing sheets of the hotel, where he was cornered. He later jumped into a nearby compound and ran off, evading arrest.

“In his scramble to escape, he left behind his personal effects, including a hit list containing names of his next victims and other vital documents and gadgets that gave the Police a clear picture of the extent of sophistication he operated with. This necessitated the urgency in arresting the notorious criminal.

“Following his close shave with the authorities, he fled to Asaba in Delta State. He remained in hiding before returning briefly to Port Harcourt, where he boasted about his invincibility and the power of his charms. He returned to Delta, where he began plotting to kill the investigating police officers and to launch attacks on police facilities to free his arrested associates.

“Undeterred by the notorious gangster’s initial escape, on April 5, 2024, around 4 am, a coordinated team launched an assault on his hideout. The team, comprising the Rivers State Command Tactical Team and the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), advanced to Delta to locate the criminal’s hideout. With support from the Delta State Commissioner of Police, operatives from the command joined the conclusive operation, resulting in the neutralization of the suspect following a fierce operation.

“He was tracked down and apprehended in Ibusa, Delta State, and found in a herbalist’s home where he sought spiritual fortification. Upon realizing the presence of security forces surrounding the premises, Peter Daddy Chukwu fiercely resisted and attempted to flee. He put up a fierce resistance, and in an attempt to escape, he was fatally wounded and succumbed to the injury before arriving at the hospital”.

CP Disu thanked the Inspector General of Police, Delta State Commissioner of Police, and officers of Rivers State Police Command for their contribution to the killing of the notorious cultist.

Items recovered are tinted Black Toyota Highlander, AK 47 riffle, Pump Action gun, IED, and Camouflages of Police and Army were recovered from the hoodlum.

A representative of Mgbuoshimini community Livingston Wechie thanked CP Disu and the IGP for the timely intervention.

Wechie appealed to the CP that he should not relent in taking further steps to eradicate crime and criminality in the community.

Our correspondent reports that many residents of the community trooped to the Police headquarters to cheer the Police for the great achievement.

By Brave Dickson

The IYC Kalabari Se-Ikpangi has demanded an unreserved public apology from the military over the attack on Sobomabo Jackrich at his Deĝema residence, leading to the killing of two persons before whisking him away at midnight.

The report has it that Jackrich who contested the 2023 guber race on the platform of the National Rescue Movement had regained his freedom.

Speaking with our correspondent, the chairman, IYC Kalabari Se-Ikpangi, Comrade Edward Asikitams said: “This is quite disturbing and alarming. It further challenges the professionalism of the military. From the report we got, the military said it was a mistaken identity.

“The military invaded the residence of High Chief Sobomabo Jackrich, harassing him and his family, and killed two persons in his compound.

“This shows that the Nigerian military needs to go for retraining exercise. There should be some sort of professionalism in their work which they didn’t exhibit.

“Sobomabo Jackrich is a prominent Ijaw leader and such embarrassment on him by the military will not be taken lightly.

“We are demanding for an unreserved official apology from the Nigerian military and the police who left their duty such as this one for the Nigerian military.

“Within the period he was arrested and released, no reason was given and there was no arrest warrant before invading his home.

“It was an unconstitutional act because Jackrich’s arrest was not official. They Killed two persons in the course of his arrest, destroyed his gate with their armored personnel carrier and whisked him away to an unknown destination.

“We therefore want to state that the attacks on prominent Ijaw leaders by the military are worrisome.

“It is not enough to say it was a mistaken identity. Kalabari and its people are hospitable, but we shouldn’t be pushed to the wall because if they do, our retaliation will shake the world.”

The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre has achieved a significant breakthrough in its ongoing efforts to combat cybercrime in the country. On Tuesday, April 9, 2024, operatives from the NPF-NCCC carried out a raid on a suspected cybercrime hideout in Garki II, FCT, resulting in the apprehension of Muhammed Zenabdin, who stands accused of criminal conspiracy and possession of suspected counterfeit currency amounting to $100,000.

According to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the arrest came following credible intelligence gathered by the NCCC. While some members of the criminal gang managed to evade capture, Muhammed Zenabdin was successfully apprehended during the operation.

During the subsequent execution of a search warrant, law enforcement discovered compelling evidence implicating Zenabdin, including $100,000 in suspected counterfeit bills, along with sophisticated counterfeit detection equipment, international passports, mobile phones, and a luxury vehicle.

Adejobi highlighted that Zenabdin provided incriminating confessions and valuable information to assist in the capture of other individuals involved in the cybercrime gang. He emphasized that following the completion of the investigation, Zenabdin and any other suspects would be brought before the court for arraignment.

Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, expressed his appreciation to the Director of the NCCC, CP Uche Ifeanyi Henry, and his team for their dedicated efforts in combating cybercrime. Egbetokun praised their commitment and diligence in addressing the challenges posed by cybercriminal activities.

In his remarks, IGP Egbetokun reassured the public of their safety and issued a stern warning to all individuals involved in cybercrime, urging them to cease their illegal activities or face serious legal repercussions.

The apprehension of Muhammed Zenabdin marks a significant step forward in the fight against cybercrime in Nigeria, demonstrating the relentless efforts of law enforcement agencies to protect citizens and uphold the rule of law.

By Tina Amanda

The family of thirty-year-old Uche Orukwo, who was a member of Diobu vigilante group, has claimed that their son was not murdered by suspected cultists as speculated.

Late Uche Orukwo was killed while they were on operation at Obidanso Street, Mile 2 Diobu, Port-Harcourt, on Saturday 6 April, 2024.

Pastor Moses Orukwo, father of the deceased vigilante member in an interview with our Correspondent on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, disclosed that information available to him revealed his son was murdered by his colleagues who went with him on the operation.

Orukwo alleged that his late son was hated and envied by his colleagues after he was promoted to second in Command of the vigilante unit/base where he was posted.

The Clergy called on the Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu to order an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding his Son’s death by inviting the Commander of the vigilante group and other members who were with his Son on the said operation.

The Rivers State Police Command confirmed the killing of the vigilante member Uche Orukwo last Saturday, 6 April 2024.

By Brave Dickson

The Alabo Edi-Abali of Kalabari Kingdom, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo Asari has given three reasons for supporting Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.

Asari who disclosed this after visiting Fubara in Port Harcourt lambasted the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike for attempting to remove the sitting governor from office without any impeachable offense.

“I will support the administration of Fubara because he has done nothing to warrant his impeachment.

“The governor was duly elected which was also affirmed by the Supreme Court. For that reason, I will support him to succeed.

“The governor also told me not to go against President Bola Tinubu, despite efforts made by some politicians to sow a seed of discord between me and Tinubu.

“Wike is not the law of Rivers State and we will not allow him to destroy our state because of the political hatred he has against the governor,” Asari said.

A few months after Fubara was sworn in as the governor of the state, his political differences with his immediate past predecessor, Wike became turbulent.

The political fight between the current and past governors led to the burning and demolition of the state House of Assembly complex.

More than 2/3rd members of the legislative assembly defected from PDP to APC in order to launch full-scale legislative watchdogging on the governor.

President Tinubu also intervened with a peace agreement that both Wike and Fubara signed to implement.

But with the ongoing threats by the defected lawmakers to impeach Fubara, it seems the crisis is far from over.

By Brave Dickson

The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality (MOSIEND) has rated the performances of INEC above the state electoral umpire, suggesting that the law be amended to authorize INEC to also conduct local government elections.

MOSIEND said this following what played out in last Saturday’s local government election in Bayelsa State where the ruling PDP won all the chairmanship and legislative seats.

In an interview with our correspondent, the National President of MOSIEND, Kennedy West described the poll as a selection, not an election.

He said the election was characterized by voter apathy, adding that the state electoral umpire did not give the opposition parties a level playing field.

According to West, “the poll was not conducted to give the opposition parties the confidence to participate.”

The Peoples Democratic Party won all the elective seats in all the eight local government councils of the state

The main opposition, being the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Labour Party, LP shunned the exercise, which was conducted by the Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission, BYSIEC.

It was the first local government election to be held under Senator Douye Diri-led administration.

By Tina Amanda

The Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) has frowned, at the recent Electricity tariff increase by the Federal Government of Nigeria which was announced on the 3rd of April, 2024 from N68 to N225 without consulting with critical stakeholders in the sector.

In a press statement signed by the Union General Secretary, Nnamdi Ajibo maintained that the government’s primary responsibility is to provide social amenities to its citizens.

The statement reads: “What is Band A after all? The government must understand that one of its primary responsibilities is to provide social amenities to the people not minding the cost and effort put into achieving such.

“What has the government done in the past 9 months to warrant this astronomical increase? This is insensitive and unacceptable.

“We are not saying that there cannot be gradual review but first thing first.

“We demand an urgent downward review while acknowledging that exchange rates had also gone so high, thereby impacting greatly in the purchasing power of the common man.
We are of the opinion that this government cannot implement all the renewed hope agenda in one year.
Worldwide, no nation treats its citizens in this manner and expects them to remain silent.

“As a matter of fact, there is nothing wrong in subsidizing electricity and other essential aspects of the national lives of our citizens.

“The federal government should as a matter of urgency reverse the entire privatization exercise and provide the enabling environment that will guarantee businesses to strive before searching for good managers to take over the management of the sector”.

By Tina Amanda

As Rivers State Police Command vows to clampdown on all cultism and other related crimes in the state, Its team of officers deployed to the Ogbologbo community in Ahoada West Local Government Area, has on Monday, April 8, 2024, brought an end to the reign of terror of one Ikem ThankGod, popularly known as General 2man.

General 2man, a close ally of the now neutralized 2Baba and General Odereke, was a terror in the Ahoada West Local Government Area and other neighboring Local Government Areas.

According to the Command, some of the 2man nefarious activities include the shooting to death of Inspector Usang Ude on April 13, 2023.

“On March 5, 2024, he also murdered four persons, namely, Henry Kirirka, Patience Henry, Abigail Victor, and Chigozie Okpo. He also slaughtered one Samuel Philip without provocation. Last month, he buried several persons alive, including Christmas Ede and Agode Gamany.

“He has carried out a lot of kidnapping activities within and outside the Ahoada West Local Government Area. His catalog of criminal activities includes armed robbery and vandalization of valuable properties. He coordinates the deroofing of public buildings and the selling of the roofing sheets.

“He also constituted himself as an authority that approves social events within the Local Government Area. This has made him attack and disrupt weddings, burials, etc., which he did not approve of.

“During the operation, General 2man and his gang opened fire on the Police tactical team. Though he was able to evade arrest, his second-in-command, ThankGod Uchechi aka, ‘Pastor SP,’ and his third-in-command, ‘Western King’ Okpo Emenike were fatally wounded. Several gang members escaped with gunshot injuries, and two loaded AK-47 rifles and eight magazines were recovered from the gang. Concerted efforts are in top gear to bring General 2man and his fleeing gang members to justice and put an end to his reign of terror”.

The Commissioner of Police Rivers State Command, CP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, while commending the tactical team for their efforts, reiterates his commitment to fighting crimes in the state. He equally urged members of the public to feed the police with reliable information that could lead to the arrest of the fleeing suspects and other criminal elements in the state.

CP Disu however urged residents to join hands with the police to combat crimes in the state.