The Rivers State Police Command has detained some members of a criminal syndicate suspected of murdering and stealing car-hire drivers’ vehicles.
The Spokeperson of the state command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, in a statement made available to New Telegraph on Monday revealed that the organization was related to several cases of missing drivers.
According to her, the arrest of one gang member, Anthony Chima, exposed the gang’s criminal activities in the state.
She said, “The discovery of this criminal enterprise targeting Uber drivers in the state followed the disappearance of one Oghenevwarhe Barry Akpobome, an Uber driver.
“Upon investigating the disappearance, Police operatives arrested one Anthony Chima, a 35-year-old graduate of Political Science from the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt.
“Under interrogation, Chima confessed to being recruited into a gang that specialised in luring taxi drivers into ambushes and stealing their vehicles.”
Chima’s evidence, according to Iringe-Koko, revealed the gang’s more heinous deeds of killing the drivers and harvesting their body parts for ritualistic purposes.
“The suspect said that he was introduced into the gang by his friend, Amfoh Abu, the group’s arms dealer, and another individual simply identified as ‘Reason.’
“Investigation further revealed that ‘General Effizy,’ the gang’s leader, is a prominent figure in the Greenland cult and a seasoned kidnapper in the state,” she added.
According to the police spokesperson, Chima admitted to randomly obtaining Uber drivers’ phone numbers and pretending to be a passenger in need of a ride.
She stated that on January 10th, Chima contacted Akpobome and asked the driver to pick him up at Reason’s apartment.
“Disguised as a passenger, Chima lured the unsuspecting Uber driver to a remote area in Aminigboko, where he met Reason and General Effizy along with four-armed gang members.
“The driver was forcefully removed from the vehicle and taken to Effizy’s shrine, where he was tied up, gagged and gruesomely murdered.
“Chima later led the police to the shrine and Effizy’s residence, where personnel recovered the victim’s skull and a locally fabricated Baretta pistol,” she said.
Iringe-Koko stated that a manhunt has been initiated to apprehend the fleeing gang members, and Chima will face legal prosecution.
She stated that Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Tunji Disu, has recommended Uber drivers to exercise caution when picking up or carrying customers, especially in remote or possibly dangerous regions.
“The Akpobome incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers that lurk in the shadows, and the importance of vigilance and cooperation with the law enforcement agencies,” the police image maker said.
New Telegraph
