Police kill ‘wanted cult leader, accomplice’ in Rivers

The Rivers police command says it has killed Silas Oderereke, a wanted cult leader and his accomplice in the Oderereke community, Ahoada West LGA of the state.

In a statement on Sunday, Grace Iringe-Koko, spokesperson of the command, said Oderereke, also known as “general” was the leader of the Greenlanders’ cult group in the Ubie clan in Ahoada West.

Iringe-Koko said the notorious cult leader and his gang were involved in armed robbery, land grabbing, unauthorised sales of buildings, and attacks on those who opposed them.

She noted that the police received relevant intelligence about the “miscreants’ operations”, which led to a shootout before they were “finally killed”.

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

“Responding swiftly, the police chased the criminals out of town. However, the defiant ‘General’ rallied his gang and launched an attack on a community-owned tank farm in Oderereke, intending to loot its contents.

“It was during this sabotage attempt that the police managed to apprehend the gang.

“Silas Oderereke and one other member 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.”

The spokesperson added that the police raided their hideout and recovered weapons, noting that residents had expressed relief following the killing of the gang leader.

“Upon searching the gang’s hideout, the police discovered a G3 Rifle and nineteen 7.62x51mm ammunition,” she said.

“Further investigations uncovered a camp Oderereke had established between Oderereke and Olokuma communities.

“This camp served as a base for the cult leader and his numerous followers, from where they launched robbery attacks on innocent members of neighbouring communities.

“The affected communities expressed their relief and shared accounts of residents who had relocated to Port Harcourt due to the mayhem caused by the cult group.”