By: Felix Ikpotor
The Rivers State Police Command says it has arrested a gang of suspected kidnappers and murderers who allegedly abducted and killed one Rowland Peace Horsefal along the Trans-Amadi axis of the state.
A statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said on the 1st of November 2024 at about 1410hrs the Command received a distressing report from one Gloria Iyenemi George ‘f’ of Peace Valley Estate Woji Port-Harcourt suggesting that on the 10th of September, 2024 at about 1530hrs, her son named Rowland Peace Horsefall ‘m’ aged 34yrs left home to attend meetings in Dr Peter Odili road and GRA Port Harcourt respectively.
Mrs George further informed the Police that at about 2100hrs, she called the son to know his location and he informed her that he was heading back home, adding that shortly after, that all subsequent attempts made to reach him were unsuccessful until about 0505hrs of 11th September, 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 Three Hundred Thousand Naira (#300,000.00) before he could have his phone back.
Narrating further, she said after a while the son called again and demanded the sum of Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira (#2,500,000.00), from her as instructed by his abductors, but she sent him Three Hundred Thousand Naira. The supposedly abductors sent to the victim’s girlfriend, pictures and voice notes threatening to kill him if they do not receive the Three Hundred Thousand Naira in a reasonable time and she also sent the Three Hundred Thousand Naira into the victim’s bank account to secure his release, yet the victim remained in captivity.
Iringe-Koko said: “Upon receipt of this complaint, operatives of the Command swung into action at about 1300hrs of 3rd November 2024 and arrested the prime suspect one Endurance Friday Thompson ‘m’ in his hideout at Woji town.
She added: “Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed that on the 11th of September, 2024 and at about 0300hrs, he met the victim behind the Port Harcourt Zoo, Trans-Amadi where he and his gang members held him captive and demanded for 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”.
The police said suspects arrested in connection with the crime include: Endurance Friday Thompson ‘m’ aged 23yrs, Boma Otonye a.k.a. Excess Chief ‘m’, aged 41yrs, David Link Ishaku a.k.a Biggy ‘m’ aged 34yrs, Moses Nsikak Benjamin a.k.a. Aboy ‘m’ aged 29yrs and Emmanuel Aniete ‘m’ aged 32yrs who have all confessed to the crime.
The police statement said investigation is ongoing and efforts are intensified to apprehend other fleeing suspects, assuring that they will face charges upon completion of the investigation.
