Police Arrest Three Dismissed Soldiers, Others for  Murder in Rivers

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Rivers State Police Command has arrested the alleged killers of the Community Development Council (CDC) Chairman of Mgbuoshimini in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, River State, Chief Ndidi Livingstone.

It would be recalled that Livingstone was shot dead on January 13, 2024, in front of his church, Peculiar Faith Ministries, Rumueme. In a viral video, four men stormed the church, dragged the victim out and murdered him, shooting him four times with AK-47 rifles, in the presence of his wife, son and congregants of the church.

Based on the video in the public space, the state Commissioner of Police, Tunji Disu, said directive was given to a team of Operatives of the FID-Intelligence Response and the Command on a nationwide manhunt for the killers.

During the investigation, the special team identified the four men in the video, including the alleged mastermind of the assassination, Peter Daddy Chukwu, who was hunted down to a hideout in Ibusa, Delta State, on April 5, 2024, in his attempt to resist arrest died in gun duel with the police.

Parading suspects arrested for different criminal acts, including murder, robbery, cultism, impersonation, and unlawful possession of firearms yesterday at the Police Command headquarters in Port Harcourt, the CP said manhunt for the perpetrators as seen in the viral video led to the arrest of three other persons directly responsible for the assassination and six more persons belonging to their criminal network.

Disu said an ex-convict, Nnamdi Emmanuel, 35m a native of Onicha LGA, Ebonyi State, who shot the late Livingstone on the foot on the day of the incident joined ‘Daddy Chukwu’ from December 2023 to January 2024 to carry out two assassination operations and a hotel bombing.

He said on arrest, the operatives recovered two AK-47 rifles, 141 rounds of live ammunition and eight magazines from Emmanuel.

Also arrested is “John Lucas, 34, from Logoro LGA, Bauchi State, claimed to be a dismissed Lance Corporal from the Nigeria Army for desertion in 2014. He had been to prison for drug trafficking and since his release, he has been involved in all sorts of crimes. Chukwu recruited him in December 2023, and together they have unleashed evil on his rivals. Lucas was seen in the viral video taking the final shot that killed Chief Livingstone.

“Adebayo Adebayo (48) from Ado Ekiti LGA, Ekiti State claimed he was dismissed as a Sargent from the Nigeria Army in 2019. John Lucas recruited him to join in the assassination of Chief Livingstone. He was seen in the video wearing a Special Forces shirt.

“After the police declared a manhunt for him, he became a journeyman moving from one state to another seeking to evade arrest, but this did not deter the police as he was traced to every state. He eventually settled down in Kwale, Delta State, where he got employed as a Chief Security Officer (CSO) of a Waste Management Company. He was apprehended while on duty at his new place of work.

“Chimezie Adiele, 29,  from Osisioma LGA, Abia State. He too claimed to be a dismissed Lance Corporal from the Nigerian Army. He was also recruited by John Lucas for the armed robbery operation where 56 Skyrun refrigerators were stolen. His share of the loot was four refrigerators.”

Also arrested were Ogolo Promise, 25, a native of Opobo/Nkoro LGA, Rivers State; Chigemezu Anochirimoyanya, 29, from Mbaitolu LGA, Imo State, and Success Oge, 39, from Umuahia LGA, Abia State, was arrested for stealing Chigemezu’s vehicle.

Others are Ifeanyi Nwadike, 30, from Emuoha LGA Rivers, Sunday Godspower, 33, who hail from Sii village in Khana LGA of Rivers State, was arrested as a close associate of Peter Chukwu and was also identified as one of the killers of another traditional leader of Mgbuoshimini, Chief Minikwu Chukwu, in 2017.

Disu further revealed that during the investigation, “four of the suspects, John, Nnamdi, Ogolo and Adebayo, led operatives to one of their camps at pipeline, Aluu village for the recovery of their cache of weapons.

“While approaching the camp, they came under heavy gunfire by hoodlums suspected to be fellow gang members. The suspects attempted to escape in the ensuing ambush but were caught in the crossfire. The hoodlums were eventually overpowered, and the suspects rushed to UPTH for medical attention. The doctor confirmed them dead, and they were deposited in the UPTH morgue for autopsy,” he said.

The Police Chief assured the state that the suspects would be charged in court as soon as investigations are concluded, adding that efforts is in top gear to apprehend more suspects connected to Daddy Chukwu’s criminal network.