Cultists Storm OSPAC Office, Kill Police Operatives

The Rivers State Police Command has launched a full-scale manhunt for suspected cultists believed to be behind a deadly attack that claimed the lives of a police officer and a vigilante operative in Ahoada East Local Government Area.

According to a press release issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, the incident occurred on the evening of June 23, 2025, at about 8:00 PM, when gunmen suspected to be members of the Iceland cult group stormed the OSPAC office near the Ahoada East Council Secretariat.

The attackers, led by two known cultists named Umegbewe Kingsley, popularly known as ‘Gutam’, and an individual identified simply as Opaka, opened fire on members of the local vigilante group OSPAC, fatally shooting one operative, Ngozi Ipah.

In their escape, the assailants also gunned down a police officer, Corporal Francis Friday, who was on special duty at the Secretariat with the Special Intervention Squad (SIS). Despite a prompt response from Police patrol teams led by the Divisional Police Officer, the gunmen had fled the scene before law enforcement could engage them.

Both victims were rushed to the Ahoada General Hospital but were pronounced dead on arrival. Their remains have been deposited at the hospital morgue for autopsy.

Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga A. Adepoju, PSC, MNIPS, who visited the scene of the attack, has deployed tactical units to the area and ordered an immediate and intensive search for the culprits. He vowed that those responsible for the killings will be brought to justice.

“The killers of our officer and the OSPAC operative will not escape justice. We are doing everything possible to apprehend them,” the CP stated.

The police urged members of the public to remain calm and assist ongoing investigations by reporting any suspicious persons or activities to the nearest police station.