The Rivers State Police Command stated its males have arrested the commander of a neighborhood vigilante group recognized as Felix Nwaobakata with two human skulls and different elements at his hideout in Omoku, headquarters of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Native Authorities Space of the state.
Additionally, the police stated its operatives, in a clampdown on the excesses of vigilante teams working within the state, arrested seven different members of the native safety outfit for sundry crimes, together with homicide.
Spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in an announcement issued in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Wednesday
Iringe-Koko stated Nwaobakata, who’s the Commander of the ONELGA Safety and Peace Advisory Committee codenamed OSPAC was a principal suspect within the homicide of two brothers in Idu in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni LGA of the state on Might 1, 2024, on the allegations that they have been kidnappers.
The assertion famous the arrest of Nwaobakata and different OSPAC members adopted quite a few complaints about their operations in several elements of the state, particularly in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LG, saying the operatives of the outfit lately attacked a police division in Omoku and clashed with different safety businesses.
The assertion learn, “The Rivers State Police Command has commenced a clampdown on the excesses of vigilante teams working throughout the state.
“This follows quite a few complaints in regards to the operations of the ONELGA Safety and Peace Advisory Committee in several elements of the State, predominantly in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, in addition to clashes with different Safety Businesses by this Vigilante Group.
“On Might 9, 2024, Alhaji Usman Seleh, the Chairman of the Hausa Indigenous Group in ONELGA, reported that OSPAC had kidnapped a member of his group. He proceeded to report the matter to the police. Consequently, the police invited the ONELGA OSPAC Commander, Felix Nwaobakata, who refused to honour a number of invites.
“As a substitute, the OSPAC outfit coordinated an assault on the police division in Omoku however the assault was thwarted because the police repelled them.
“Following this improvement, Tactical Items of the command stormed the ONELGA OSPAC Camp at Omoku and arrested Cheta Benjamin, Joshua Ekwosa, Harmless Ahiakwu, and 4 others.
“The ONELGA OSPAC Commander, Felix Nwaobakata, was subsequently arrested in his hideout in Omoku on June 17, 2024 the place two human skulls and human bones have been present in his possession.
“The arrested OSPAC Commander, Felix Nwaobakata, can be a principal suspect within the homicide of two brothers, Collins Ugorji (32) and Newman Ugorji (39), of the Idu Neighborhood in ONELGA.”
The brothers have been stated to have been killed on Might 1, 2024, by the OSPAC on the allegation that they have been kidnappers.
Their bikes have been reportedly confiscated, and their our bodies taken to the OSPAC secretariat in Omoku.
In one other associated incident, the state police spokesperson stated, “On Might 3, 2024, the Youths of Egbeda Neighborhood in Emuoha LGA staged a peaceable protest to Lubrik Development Firm at Egbeda, and after being addressed by the Police, they dispersed however have been ambushed by a gaggle of OSPAC members led by the Egbeda OSPAC Commander, Friday Ogbuji, who shot and killed the Youth Chief, Harmless Didia.
“The Rivers State Police Command has made additional arrests and can proceed to analyze these circumstances and different associated ones, which is able to then be charged to a Court docket of competent Jurisdiction.
“The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu has suggested that any resident who has complaints of assault, extortion, or unlawful detention ought to make a report on the nearest police station.
“The Rivers State Command is dedicated to finishing up its obligation of defending lives and property. It is not going to tolerate any act of illegality, extreme use of drive, torture, fraudulent conversion of properties, and different various types of criminality by the OSPAC or another vigilante outfit.”
Disu stated that whereas recognising the relevance and significance of those vigilante teams in the neighborhood policing system, the command will preserve participating and synergising with these teams on what is predicted of them and their limitations.