IGP Baba, Arase Celebrated as Rivers Police Smash Notorious Gang, Kill Most Wanted Leader

Matilda Omonaiye/

Police officers in Rivers State have ended the reign of a suspected kidnapper described as the most wanted notorious criminal in the state.

Identified as Nwodi, the about 25-year-old suspect, who was rumoured to be invincible, had been on the run for three years before nemesis caught up with him.

Before he was declared wanted by the police with a bounty placed on his head, Nwodi had been linked to the kidnapping of NYSC members in two buses, the abduction of Mrs Gloria Izunfuo, a Federal Commissioner of National Population Commission, at Ogbakiri Junction on her way to Port Harcourt., the raid of four passenger buses plying the Port Harcourt route, killing of policemen and officials of other security agencies, the daily killings of villagers in Rivers, and the breaking of oil pipelines to finance the gang’s operations.

A police team led by ACP Moses Ogechi ended Nwodi’s reign after a gunbattle in which three members of the gang were killed at about 2:30 am on June 13, 2023, at Ogoloma community in Okirika LGA of Rivers State.

According to the police, Nwodi had been terrorising the entire East-West Road, Ahuda, and Emoha LGA, in Rivers and the Bayelsa highway, as well as Elibrada.

Following the success of the team, IGP Usman Alkali Baba and the Police Service Commission (PSC) Chairman, Dr Solomon Arase have received commendations from communities and organisations for posting competent hands to secure Rivers State.

Those who made the commendations included Ambassador Green Isaac, the Co-Ordinator of Civil-Military Police and Paramilitary Relations (CIMPARR), Nigeria; Festus Bonwin Esq, a Board Member, and I.K Alexander Esq, and the Chairman, Rivers State Chapter, Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign.

Encomiums were also showered on the Rivers State commissioner of police (CP) Nwonyi Emeka, who was described as an outstanding operational CP and a fearless and rugged ACP Operations – Moses Ogechi.

Nwodi’s gang was suspected to have kidnapped the Federal Commissioner travelling to Port Harcourt and hijacked two buses loaded with NYSC members on redeployment from Ondo State.

A Joint Task Force was formed about 2 years ago to go after the kidnappers’ kingpin, who was destroying oil pipelines.

NewsmakersNG learnt that to achieve this objective, a security summit was converged by CP Emeka.

He immediately redeployed one of his best DPOs from Bori Ogoni to the Ahauda axis and made other redeployments hoping to achieve great results. He also volunteered to support officers in the operations with his salary.

The CP further held a strategic security meeting with stakeholders in the state including Local Government Chairmen, traditional rulers, Youth organizations, the Community Development Committee (CDC), Members of his Management team, Area Commanders, and DPOs to strategize with the stakeholders on crime fighting.

A reward was also pledged by LGA Chairmen. The Chairman of Emohua LGA Chidi Lylod in a recent radio announcement had raised the one-million-naira bounty placed on Nwodi to N2million while expressing assurance that CP Emeka with the calibre of police officers posted to Emohua LGA was ready to combat crime.

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