The Rivers State Police Command has recovered the remains of Sampson Worianime, who was reported missing in November, and arrested two suspects in connection with his disappearance and death.
The command’s spokesperson, CSP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the development in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, explaining that the arrests followed sustained investigations by the police.
She said Worianime was declared missing on November 11 after he went with a community youth leader from Ogbogbo Community in Okrika Local Government Area to inspect and measure a piece of land. Following a petition filed by his family, the police Anti-Kidnapping Unit launched an intelligence-led investigation.
According to Iringe-Koko, the probe led to the arrest of two suspects, one of whom is the Chief Security Officer of Aleto-Eleme Community. During interrogation, the suspects allegedly confessed to abducting two youths from Okrika Local Government Area.
“One of the victims managed to escape, but Sampson Worianime was killed,” she said, adding that the suspects later led officers to a shallow grave where Worianime’s remains were recovered.
She disclosed that the suspects are currently in custody and assisting the police, while efforts are ongoing to arrest other accomplices linked to the crime.
In a related development, the Rivers State Police Command also announced the arrest of 12 suspects over a violent attack on Unity Estate along Mbodo-Aluu Road in Port Harcourt.
Iringe-Koko said the suspects, believed to be members of a vigilante group working with hired thugs, allegedly stormed the estate on January 5, armed with pump-action guns, cutlasses and other weapons. She said the attackers fired shots indiscriminately, throwing residents into panic.
Several vehicles were reportedly damaged during the attack, while a resident, Stephen Nmacha, sustained a gunshot injury that shattered his leg. He was also abducted by the attackers but was later rescued by police operatives and is currently receiving medical treatment.
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Other residents, she added, suffered injuries while trying to flee into nearby bushes to escape the violence.
Items recovered from the suspects include an automatic pump-action gun, live and spent cartridges, charms, five motorcycles, two minibuses and a Sienna bus.
Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Olugbenga Adepoju, described the attacks as reckless and unacceptable. He stressed that vigilante groups are expected to operate strictly under police supervision and questioned why the group involved failed to coordinate with the police.
Adepoju said investigations were ongoing and that efforts were being intensified to arrest other suspects, including the Akpor Commander of the vigilante group, who is currently on the run. He also appealed to members of the public to provide useful information that could aid the police in apprehending the fleeing suspects.
