In a recent development, the Rivers State Police Command has apprehended the commander of a vigilante group, Felix Nwaobakata, for possession of two human skulls and other body parts. The arrest took place at his hideout in Omoku, located in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the state. Additionally, seven other members of the local security outfit were also arrested for various crimes, including murder.
According to the spokesperson for the state Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, Nwaobakata, who serves as the Commander of the ONELGA Security and Peace Advisory Committee (OSPAC), is considered a prime suspect in the murder of two brothers in Idu, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA. The brothers were killed on May 1, 2024, based on allegations that they were kidnappers.
The arrest of Nwaobakata and other OSPAC members was a result of numerous complaints regarding their activities in different parts of the state, particularly in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA. The outfit was also involved in an attack on a police division in Omoku and had clashes with other security agencies.
The Rivers State Police Command has initiated a clampdown on the excesses of vigilante groups operating in the state. This action was prompted by several complaints against the ONELGA Security and Peace Advisory Committee (OSPAC) and its clashes with other security agencies. Alhaji Usman Seleh, the Chairman of the Hausa Indigenous Group in ONELGA, reported that OSPAC had abducted a member of his group on May 9, 2024. Subsequently, the police invited Felix Nwaobakata, the OSPAC commander, who failed to honor several invitations. Instead, the OSPAC orchestrated an attack on the police division in Omoku, which was successfully repelled by the police.
In response to these events, Tactical Units of the Rivers State Police Command raided the ONELGA OSPAC Camp at Omoku and arrested several individuals, including Cheta Benjamin, Joshua Ekwosa, Innocent Ahiakwu, and four others. Nwaobakata was subsequently apprehended in his hideout in Omoku on June 17, 2023, where two human skulls and human bones were discovered in his possession.
Furthermore, the statement released by the Police Command revealed that Nwaobakata is also a key suspect in the murder of Collins Ugorji (32) and Newman Ugorji (39), who were residents of the Idu Community in ONELGA. The OSPAC accused the brothers of being kidnappers and subsequently killed them. Their bodies were taken to the OSPAC secretariat in Omoku, received by Felix Nwaobakata, and have not been found since. The investigation into their deaths is ongoing.
In a related incident, the youth leader, Innocent Didia, was shot and killed by a group of OSPAC members led by the Egbeda OSPAC Commander, Friday Ogbuji. This occurred after the youth staged a peaceful protest to Lubrik Construction Company at Egbeda, Emuoha LGA. The Rivers State Police Command has made additional arrests and will continue to investigate these cases and related incidents.
The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, has emphasized that any resident who has complaints of assault, extortion, or illegal detention should report the incidents to the nearest police station. While recognizing the relevance and importance of vigilante groups in the Community Policing System,
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