Police Kill Notorious Robbery Suspect in Rivers

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Rivers State Police Command has killed a suspected leader of an armed robbery gang in the state.

Speaking on the development, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Grace Iringe-Koko, revealed that the suspect, Silas Oderereke, was a leader of a gang terrorising the Oderereke community in Ahoada West Local Government Area of the state.

Iringe-Koko disclosed that Oderereke and his gang members have been on the run for the past four years, after allegedly committing some nefarious acts in the area which they were subsequently declared wanted by the police.

According to the police spokesperson, the reign of the suspect (Oderereke) came to an end after he and his gang members engaged the police in gun battle in a bid to vandalised property of a prominent late monarch in the area.

The spokesperson said during the interface with the police, Oderereke was fatally wounded, some of his gang members sustained injuries and were arrested, while two others escaped en route the forest in the area.

Iringe-Koko revealed further:  “As the head of the Greenlanders’ cult group in the Ubie clan of Ahoada West, Oderereke and his gang were infamous for their criminal activities, which included armed robbery, land grabbing, unauthorised sales of buildings, and brutal attacks on those who dared to oppose them.

“The cult leader would even order the destruction of houses in communities that resisted his criminal enterprises.

“On January 11, 2024, the police received information about Oderereke’s gang’s robbery operation, which also involved vandalising the property of the late monarch, Eze Robinson O. Robinson.

“Responding swiftly, the police chased the criminals out of town. However, the defiant suspect rallied his gang and launched an attack on a community-owned tank farm in the town, intending to loot its contents. It was during this sabotage attempt that the police managed to apprehend the gang members.

“Silas Oderereke and one other members of his gang opened fire on the police team, leading to an exchange of gunfire. In the shootout, Oderereke and his accomplice were neutralised while others sustained injuries. Two other clan leaders, Danger-boy and 2-Man, who frequently collaborated with Oderereke, managed to escape and are currently at large.”

Some of the items recovered from the suspects’ hideout were a G3 Rifle and nineteen 7.62x51mm ammunition, while the police uncovered a camp Oderereke had established between Oderereke and Olokuma communities.

Iringe-Koko explained that: “This camp served as a base for the cult leader and his numerous followers, from where they launched robbery attacks on innocent members of the neighboring communities.”

The development, THISDAY gathered, had brought relief to the affected communities, especially on residents who had relocated to Port Harcourt due to the mayhem caused by the suspected gang group.

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, has congratulated the officers for their exceptional work.

Disu warned suspected criminals “to abandon their criminal activities and renounce cultism, or face the full weight of the law,” and assured them that the Command under his leadership remains committed to maintaining peace and bolstering security in the state.