The Rivers State Police Command have prevailed over a five-man gang responsible for car snatching and burglary in the Ada-George, Iwofe and Ogbogoro areas of Port Harcourt. Other locations of their operation are Egbelu, Diobu, D-line, GRA II and Borikiri. The gang has been responsible for snatching, at gunpoint, over 10 cars in the past 3 months and has been terrorising Rivers State residents seeking to enjoy the comforts and thrills of nightlife in the GRA II axis of Port Harcourt.
The gang was led by a recidivist, one Chukwumela Imela aka Boy Satan, who had been to prison on four occasions for various crimes, ranging from cultism to raping and armed robbery. Together with his childhood friend and companion, Precious Adiele, he joined the Iceland cult group in 2009. He is famed for being merciless in killing both rivals and allies, thus earning him the moniker ‘Boy Satan’.
In 2022, he disagreed with the Iceland cult group over loot sharing from a robbery and angrily moved to join a rival group, ‘La Mendians Bobos’. To celebrate his defection, he decided to make a bold statement by accosting his friend, Precious Adiele and macheting him to death in his residence. After killing his friend, he boasted that he was not afraid to hurt even his family to prove a point.
In 2012, he attacked a businessman named George, who was on his way to attend a church vigil and demanded his phone. The man handed his phone to him and on seeing the phone he got enraged that it was not an Android phone and proceeded to give machete cuts to him. George was rescued by a member of the local vigilante in Diobu, one Aniefiok David who fought him off and took the injured victim for treatment. This act of the vigilante offended Boy Satan, and he earmarked Aniefiok David for death.
He began trailing the 39-year-old vigilante who worked as a sachet water distributor. On a particular night, a few weeks after the incident with George, at Ojoto Round-about in Diobu, he waylaid Aniefiok and shot him in the chest with a locally-made pistol. Aniefiok swung his machete as he took the shot and hacked off Boy Satan’s left hand at the wrist. They were both taken to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (formerly Braithwaite Memorial Hospital) where Boy Satan was arrested by the Police and charged to court. That marked his first imprisonment.
He returned from Prison and continued his criminal activities which led him to be incarcerated three more times before he was eventually neutralized by the Rivers State Police Command.
His gang came under the full glare of the Rivers State Police Command after they robbed one Mr Timothy Musa, 42, of his Toyota Camry on the night of April 17, 2024, and used the same car to loot shops and houses around the Agip-Ada-George areas of Port Harcourt before selling the vehicle to one of their receivers-an Alhaji still at large.
On another night, on the 5th of June 2024, the gang struck again, snatching another Toyota Camry and diverting the car and its owner to a location in Timber, Diobu. There, the car owner was robbed of his personal belongings, shot and left for dead whilst they whisked the car away. The victim was taken to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital where he eventually succumbed to his injuries.
The Police who had been on the heels of the criminal gang got credible intelligence that they were about to carry out another operation at Diobu using a Keke-bus (minivan) on the 8th of June 2024. Men of the Octopus strike force of the Command immediately mobilised to the area and aided by the Diobu vigilante, came upon the criminals at Okonkwo Street in Diobu.
On sighting the Police, the gang began shooting at the Police. Boy Satan and other gang members fled the scene after being overpowered by the superior firepower of the Police however, the gang’s driver, Junior Moses Eyimode, was arrested, and the minivan was recovered by the Police.
The Police gave hot pursuit to the fleeing gang members and caught up with them in one of their numerous hideouts in New Road, Borikiri where they fired more shots at the Police in a bid to escape. In the gun battle, the notorious ‘Boy Satan’ and another member of his gang were neutralised and one Beretta pistol and two locally made revolvers were recovered.
The Police have so far recovered 2 more cars from the gang as investigations continue in a bid to mop up other stolen vehicles and round up fleeing gang members.
Similarly on the 13th of September 2024, at about 10 am, Operatives of the Command attached to Abuloma Police Station, Port-Harcourt, received credible and actionable intelligence, indicating suspicious movement of a man with a little girl.
Consequent upon the receipt of this piece of information, operatives were swiftly despatched to the area and arrested a suspect, one Prince Amadi Ogbonda, ‘m’, aged 24 years and a native of Elekahia Community in Port-Harcourt but a resident of Akwuke area, Enugu. A teenager (name withheld), aged 16 years, a resident of the Garki area, Enugu was found being held against her will by the suspect.
During preliminary investigations, it was revealed that the suspect lured the victim out of the Garki area in Enugu, put her in a Ghana-Must-Go-bag and brought her from Enugu to Port-Harcourt.
On arrival in Port-Harcourt, the victim was taken to the house of one Chima (surname unknown), an internet fraudster operating in the Ozuoboko community. Chima and one other yet-to-be-identified suspect had non-consensual carnal knowledge of the victim repeatedly.
The victim has been presented for medical examination and treatment while the suspect is currently in Police custody. Investigation is ongoing, while concerted efforts are intensified to apprehend other fleeing suspects.
Also on August 29, 2024, at about 3 pm, Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command attached to the Octopus strike force, acting on a credible piece of information about a possible hostage situation in a compound at Igwuruta.
The operatives swung into action and arrested a suspect, Chukwudi Okoli ‘m’, who posed as a staff of a company, Qjoseansel International Global Limited.
During the operation, Amiye Joseph and fifteen (15) other victims comprising thirteen (13) males and two (2) were rescued and led to the station.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the unsuspecting victims had each paid monetary sums ranging from NGN 650,000 to NGN 850,000.00 each to the phoney company with vain assurance that they would be given jobs within the Oil/Gas sector and receive payment in US Dollars.
The fraudsters operated in such a way that they would call their unsuspecting victims over the phone after a random selection of phone numbers. They would then introduce them to job opportunities and invite them to Port Harcourt where they would undergo fake interview processes.
The victims are then extorted huge sums of money and held in a facility where they would be keenly monitored. After this is achieved, the victims will be subjected to training where they will be taught to convince potential victims about the job opportunities with a pay of USD 450 per week.
New entrants were tasked to pay USD 25 to facilitate a registration process.
The suspects designed an online platform that generated a username and password for registrants upon completion of registration. Throughout the process, the victims are instructed to alienate themselves from other people.
Sophisticated gadgets and items were recovered from the operational office of the suspect including Phones, Laptops, Television sets, generators, Industrial Fans and office furniture.
The suspect and exhibits are in Police custody while the investigation is ongoing. We have intensified efforts to apprehend other members of the syndicate.
