The Rivers State Police Command has launched a manhunt for suspected cultists who carried out a deadly attack in Ahoada on the evening of June 23, killing a police officer and a local security operative.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, the assailants—allegedly led by Umegbewe Kingsley, also known as ‘Gutam’, and another identified simply as Opaka—stormed the OSPAC office near the Ahoada East Council Secretariat and opened fire around 8:00 PM.
OSPAC operative Ngozi Ipah was shot during the attack, while Corporal Francis Friday, a police officer on special duty with the Special Intervention Squad, was gunned down as the attackers fled the scene.
Despite a swift response from police patrol teams, the suspects had escaped before officers arrived. Both victims were rushed to the Ahoada General Hospital but were pronounced dead on arrival. Their remains have been deposited in the hospital morgue for autopsy.
Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, who visited the scene, has ordered a full-scale manhunt and deployed tactical units to apprehend the killers. He vowed that those responsible for the killings would be brought to justice.
The police have called on residents to remain calm and report any suspicious activities or persons to security authorities.
