Community Leader Allegedly Buried Alive by Notorious Cult Members After Collecting Ransom

Two suspected cultists identified as Baridapdo Igia and Elvis Gordon were paraded on Monday at the Rivers State Police Command over alleged kidnapping and murder.

The suspects were accused of kidnapping and burying a man identified as Praise Daakian, who was a former Community Development Committee (CDC) chairman.

Parading the suspects alongside other 15 suspects before journalists at the Rivers State Police Command, the Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, said the suspects and his accomplices buried the victim alive after collecting N200,000 as part payment for a ransom from the victim’s wife.

He said: “Anti-Cultism Unit arrested Baridapdo Igia, 33yrs ‘m’ and Elvis Gordon, 26yrs ‘m’, two suspected armed robbers and kidnappers in Kereken-Boue community of Khana Local Government Area. After a series of interrogations, the duo confessed to being leaders of Iceland and Degbam cult groups in Khana Local Government Area, respectively and have been terrorising Khana Local Government Area for the past three years.

“During interrogations, they also admitted to kidnapping and burying alive one Praise Daakian, a former CDC Chairman in Khana Local Government Area. They murdered the victim after collecting the sum of NGN200,000 as part of payment for his ransom from the victim’s wife.

“The duo also confessed to murdering nine other victims from 2021 to 2023 and were the main reason for the partial evacuation of the community within this same period. Investigations are still ongoing to uncover the full scale of the suspects’ operations.”

CP Disu said the operatives of the command attached to C4i Intelligence also arrested one Emmanuel Essien, and Marshal Ime whom he said confessed to being members of a 4-man armed robbery syndicate responsible for terrorising parts of Port Harcourt in recent times.

He said one of the suspects, Essien Emmanuel, disclosed to the operatives that he had been arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned three times for sundry offences.