Police Arrest Fake Inspector, Killers of Rivers CDC Chairman Neutralized

According to the Rivers State Police Command, their men have arrested a rogue inspector leading an armed robbery gang and neutralized four fleeing suspects involved in the January 2024 murder of a chairman of the Mgboshimini Community Development Commission in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of ​​the state.

Police said the fake inspector, identified as Fred Monday and armed with an AK-47 rifle, was arrested by men of the Anti-kidnapping Unit who responded to a report of a criminal operation at Luegbo community in Khana Local Government Area of ​​the state at about 11:45pm on August 9, 2024.

The state Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, made this known while showing the fake inspector, other suspects and the recovered military equipment to journalists during a press conference at the command headquarters in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

However, Disu said when the officers arrived at the alleged crime scene, they discovered that it was an initiation ceremony of students, with the fake inspector covering for them.

He stated: “When the police arrived at the scene, they were confronted with an ongoing gruesome cult initiation process. Five suspects, who later turned out to be students of the Ken Saro Wiwa Polytechnic, were arrested.

“The students, Mduni Clement, Prosper Wonyingipreye, Kunle Joseph, Eken Evans and Isaiah Elisha, confessed to being members of the Vikings fraternity. They have been charged in court and are currently in a correctional facility.

“During the arrest of the five cult members, the police came across a man dressed entirely in police camouflage and holding the rank of police inspector.

“He was armed with an AK-47 rifle, 10 magazines and 29 rounds of live ammunition. He was arrested and after interrogation his identity was revealed as Fred Monday, a 31-year-old from Wiyakara Community in Khana LGA of Rivers State and residing at F-man Close, Eneka Link Road, Port Harcourt.”

Disu added: “He confessed to being an impostor who bought the gun in 2021 for N850,000 from an accomplice, Goodluck, also known as Boy-J.

“He also bought 10 magazines, 31 rounds of ammunition and two hand grenades from the same accomplice. He revealed to the police how he and other gang members disguised themselves as police officers to escort criminals to operate in various states including Akwa Ibom, Edo, Delta and Rivers.

“Fred Monday is a well-known member of the cult in Iceland and has committed numerous crimes by posing as a police officer to terrorize his victims.

“He is also an armed robber who operated as a Keke (tricycle) rider during the day, while at night he would scout the area for potential victims to attack,” he said, adding that officers were on the hunt for other fleeing gang members.

He said the items found on the suspect were an AK-47 rifle

10 magazines, 29 rounds with live ammunition.

In another development, the state police boss disclosed that operatives have arrested four suspects linked to a notorious cult leader, Daddy Chukwu, who was traced to his hideout in Delta state and killed by police earlier this year after they shot dead a community leader, Chief Ndidi Livingstone, in the presence of his family.

Disu said: “Recall the assassination of the then Chairman of the Mgbuoshimini Community Development Committee, Chief Ndidi Livingstone, on January 13, 2024, in front of his church, Peculiar Faith Ministries, Rumueme.

“The cold-blooded murder carried out in broad daylight was captured in a viral video that sparked outrage. I led a team of operatives from the FID-Intelligence Response Team and the Rivers State Command on a nationwide manhunt for the killers.”

He further said that after investigation, other members of the gang were identified in a video by a special team.

“The ongoing manhunt for the perpetrators seen shooting and killing the dead in the viral video has now led to the arrest of the three other individuals directly responsible for the murder and another six individuals belonging to their criminal network.”

Disu, however, said while the four arrested suspects led officers to one of the camps to obtain arms and ammunition, other gang members opened fire on them and the arrested were shot as they tried to escape.

He said: “During the investigation, four of the suspects, John Lucas, ‘m’, Nnamdi Emmanuel, m’, Ogolo Promise, ‘m’ and Adebayo Adebayo, ‘m’, led operatives to one of their camps at Pipeline, Aluu village to recover their cache of arms. As they approached the camp, they were heavily shot at by hoodlums suspected to be gang members.

“The suspects attempted to escape in the ensuing ambush but were caught in the crossfire. The hoodlums were eventually overpowered and the suspects were rushed to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital for medical attention.

“The doctor confirmed that they were dead and they were taken to the UPTH mortuary for autopsy,” the spokesman said. Efforts were still underway to arrest more suspects linked to Chukwu’s former criminal network and possibly seize more ammunition.