From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Suspected killers of former Community Development Committee (CDC) chairman, in Kereken-Boue community in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, Praise Daakian, have been arrested by the police.
The suspects, Baridapdo Igia (33 years) and Elvis Gordon (26) were arrested on November 15, 2023, in separate operations by men of the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
Igia and Gordon were paraded alongside other criminals at the police command headquarters, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, yesterday, by the Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu.
The state police boss told newsmen that the Igia and Gordon were into armed robbery and kidnapping in Khana LGA. Disu disclosed that the two suspects, who were leaders of two different cult groups, buried the former CDC chairman alive after collecting N200,000 being part of the ransom they demanded from victim’s family.
The CP explained: “On the day of resumption, I had before me a security deficit in many areas of Rivers State. One of those areas was Khana Local Government, and we immediately deployed tactical units to quell the situation.
“Gentlemen of the press, after concluding intense surveillance on November 15, in separate crack operations, men of the Anti-Cultism Unit arrested Baridapdo Igia, 33 years ‘m’ and Elvis Gordon, 26 years ‘m’, two suspected armed robbers and kidnappers in Kereken-Boue community of Khana Local Government Area.
“After a series of interrogations, the duo confessed to being leaders of Iceland and Degbam cult groups in Khana Local Government Area, respectively, and have been terrorising Khana Local Government Area for the past three years. These cult groups have been known to have endless clashes in the community.”
“During interrogations, they also admitted to kidnapping and burying alive one Praise Daakian, a former CDC Chairman in Khana Local Government Area. They murdered the victim after collecting the sum of N200,000 as part of payment for his ransom from the victim’s wife.”
The police commissioner 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.
Disu added that investigations were still ongoing to uncover the full scale of the suspects’ operations.