The Rivers State Police Command has successfully apprehended two suspected kidnappers involved in the horrifying abduction and live burial of Praise Daakian, the former Community Development Committee Chairman in Kereken-Boue, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
According to the police, the suspects demanded N200,000 as part of the ransom before burying the victim alive. The State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, made this revelation during his first news briefing in Port Harcourt, stating that the suspects confessed to the heinous act.
Disu noted that the arrested individuals, Baridapdo Igia, 33, and Elvis Gordon, 26, were leaders of the Iceland and Degbam cult groups, respectively. Both groups had been causing unrest and clashes in Khana Local Government Area over the past three years.
The suspects admitted to not only kidnapping and burying alive Praise Daakian but also confessed to murdering nine other victims from 2021 to 2023, contributing to the evacuation of parts of the community within this period.
In a separate incident, the police arrested three alleged armed robbers on patrol in the Trans-Amadi axis of Port Harcourt. The suspects were using the “one chance” model, robbing unsuspecting passengers by luring them into a tricycle and forcibly taking their valuables.
The Commissioner of Police urged residents to collaborate with law enforcement by providing timely and credible information to enhance the effectiveness of crime prevention in the state. Investigations into these cases are ongoing.
