Suspected Cult Members.
The police in Rivers State caught two suspected cult members, Baridapdo Igia and Elvis Gordon. They are accused of kidnapping and killing Praise Daakian, a former chairman in Kereken-Boue, Khana Local Government Area.
The State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, mentioned that Igia and Gordon, along with others, buried the victim alive after taking N200,000 from his wife as part of the ransom. The suspects were shown to journalists at the police headquarters on December 4, 2023.
The CP stated“Anti-Cultism Unit arrested Baridapdo Igia, 33yrs ‘m’ and Elvis Gordon, 26yrs ‘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.”
In questioning, they confessed to kidnapping and burying alive Praise Daakian, a past CDC Chairman in Khana Local Government Area. They killed him after receiving NGN200,000 as a partial payment for his ransom from his wife.
“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. Investigations are still ongoing to uncover the full scale of the suspects’ operations.”
CP Disu mentioned that the police caught Emmanuel Essien and Marshal Ime, who admitted to being part of a four-person armed robbery group causing trouble in Port Harcourt lately.
He added that Essien Emmanuel, one of the suspects, told the police that he had been arrested, taken to court, and sent to jail three times for various crimes.