By: Felix Ikpotor
The Rivers State Police Command says it has uncovered a disturbing criminal enterprise targeting Uber drivers in the region.
According to the Command’s spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, the investigation was sparked by the disappearance of one driver, Oghenevwarhe Barry Akpobome, leading to the arrest and confession of 35-year-old Anthony Chima, a political science graduate from the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education.
According to Chima’s testimony, he was recruited into a gang that specialized in luring cab drivers into ambushes, stealing their vehicles, and ultimately murdering them for ritualistic purposes and organ harvesting. Chima revealed that he was brought into the fold by a friend, Amfoh Abu, who introduced him to the gang’s armourer, a man known as “Reason,” and the notorious ringleader, “General Effizy,” a prominent figure in the Greenland cult and a seasoned kidnapper.
The statement said, “chilling details of Akpobome’s demise emerged as Chima recounted the events of January 10, 2024. On that fateful day, he was summoned to Reason’s residence and instructed to call a driver whose number he had previously collected. Posing as a passenger, Chima then lured the unsuspecting Uber driver to a remote area in Aminigboko, where he and Reason were met by General Effizy and four armed gang members”.
“The driver was forcibly removed from the vehicle and taken to Effizy’s shrine, where he was bound, gagged, and ultimately murdered. Chima’s involvement in the gruesome act was confirmed when the police, following his confession, recovered the victim’s skull and a locally fabricated Beretta pistol from Effizy’s residence”.
The statement said investigation is ongoing, with the authorities searching for the fleeing suspects involved in the criminal enterprise.
While calling for vigilance from members of the public, the Command urged members of the public and especially Uber drivers to also exercise caution while boarding to remote areas.
