Police Arrest 5 Suspects  for  Kidnap, Murder of  Man in Rivers

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Rivers State Police Command yesterday  announced the arrest of five suspects allegedly involved in the kidnap and subsequent murder of  35 years old man in  the state.

The Police spokesperson in the state, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, who disclosed this  said that the incident occurred  last  September.

According to Iringe-Koko, the mother of the victim, Gloria George, alerted the command on the disappearance of her son, few hours after they spoke on the incident day.

The mother of the victim (Rowland Horsfall), told the police that the suspects demanded N300, 000 ransom for his release.

She explained that after the payment was made, the suspects increased the ransom to N2.5million but  killed him before the family could send the money to them.

Iringe-Koko said: “On November 1, 2024 at about 14:10hrs the Rivers State Police Command received a distressing report from one Gloria Iyenemi George of Peace Valley Estate Woji Port-Harcourt suggesting that on September 10, 2024 at about 15:30hrs, her son named Rowland Horsfall, aged 34years left home to attend meetings in Dr Peter Odili road and GRA Port Harcourt respectively.

“She further informed the Police that at about 21:00hrs, she called the son to know his location and he informed her that he was heading back home. Shortly after that all subsequent attempts made to reach him were unsuccessful until about 05:05hrs, September 11, 2024, when the son called again and informed her that he was being held hostage and his phone seized and demanded that he should pay a ransom of N300,000.00 before he could have his phone back.

“After a while the son called again and demanded the sum of N2,500,000.00, from her as instructed by his abductors, but she sent him N300,000. 

The supposedly abductors sent to the victim’s girlfriend, pictures and voice notes threatening to kill him if they do not receive the N300,000 in a reasonable time and  eventually, she sent the N300,000 into the victim’s bank account to secure his release, yet the victim remained in captivity.”

The police spokesperson continue that “Upon receipt of this complaint, operatives of the Command swung into action at about 13:00hrs of November 3, 2024 and arrested the prime suspect one Endurance Friday Thompson in his hideout at Woji town.

“Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed that on September 11, 2024 and at about 03:00hrs, he met the victim behind the Port Harcourt Zoo, Trans-Amadi where he and his gang members held him captive and demanded  ransom and the victim’s family inability to pay the ransom made him and his gang to beat the victim to death and dumped his remains along Queens/Kings Bakery, Abuloma road, Port Harcourt, but later the corpse was recovered by the Police and deposited at the Mortuary.”

Confirming the arrest of the five suspects in connection to the kidnap and murder of the victim, the police spokesperson mentioned their names as  “Endurance Friday Thompson (23), Boma Otonye (41), David Link Ishaku (34), Moses Nsikak Benjamin (29) and Emmanuel Aniete (32).

She said all the suspects confessed to the crime, adding that “Investigation is ongoing, efforts are intensified to apprehend other fleeing suspects.”

Iringe-Koko added that the suspects would face charges upon completion of the investigation, accordingly.