Police nab man over ‘murder of ride-hailing drivers’ in Rivers

The police command in Rivers has arrested a suspected member of a criminal gang who allegedly murder ride-hailing drivers and steal their cars. 

On Monday, Grace Iringe-Koko, the command’s spokesperson, said officers arrested one Anthony Chima who confessed to the activities of the gang in the state.

She said the suspected criminal linked the group to multiple cases of missing drivers in the state, adding that he also took officers to the shrine where the drivers were murdered.

Iringe-Koko said Chima, a 35-year-old man, confessed that he randomly obtained Uber drivers’ phone numbers before luring them into remote areas. 

“The discovery of this criminal enterprise targeting Uber drivers in the state followed the disappearance of one Oghenevwarhe Barry Akpobome, an Uber driver,” she said.

“Upon investigating the disappearance, police operatives arrested one Anthony Chima, a 35-year-old graduate of political science from the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt.

“Disguised as a passenger, Chima lured the unsuspecting Uber driver to a remote area in Aminigboko, where he met Reason and General Effizy along with four armed gang members.

“The driver was forcefully removed from the vehicle and taken to Effizy’s shrine, where he was tied up, gagged and gruesomely murdered.

“Chima later led the police to the shrine and Effizy’s residence, where personnel recovered the victim’s skull and a locally fabricated Baretta pistol.

“The suspect said that he was introduced into the gang by his friend, Amfoh Abu, the group’s arms dealer, and another individual simply identified as ‘Reason’.

“Investigation further revealed that ‘General Effizy,’ the gang’s leader, is a prominent figure in the Greenland cult and a seasoned kidnapper in the state.”