Vigilante leader, two others arrested for torturing man to death in Rivers

By Davies Iheamnachor, Port Harcourt

The leader of a vigilante group and two of his members have been arrested in Rivers State for allegedly torturing a man to death.

The incident occurred in Okogbe Community, Ahoada West Local Government Area. The suspects—Joshua, the vigilante chairman; Friday Silas, a group member; and motorcyclist Obed Godlove—were apprehended on Sunday by community youths and a Joint Task Force in Ukpeliede Community while attempting to dispose of the victim’s body.

The victim, identified as Ghadafi, had reportedly been arrested by the trio on Saturday after being accused of stealing palm fruits from the community. He was allegedly tortured to death before the suspects attempted to dump his remains in a secluded area.

According to Chief Security Officer of Ukpeliede Community, Mr. Osiga King, the suspects were caught when the community noticed suspicious activity and alerted security operatives. King said that at the time of arrest, the victim’s hands and legs were still tied with ropes.

He recounted: “We sighted a motorcycle carrying someone who appeared dead. Upon tracing them, we discovered that the body had been dropped in our community. We alerted security agents, pursued the suspects, and apprehended Joshua, Friday Silas, and Obed Godlove. They confessed to killing the young man by torture.”

The suspects reportedly claimed that Ghadafi had been terrorising the community, stealing palm fruits, and had previously stolen a Youth Corps member’s phone. They said they had reported his activities to the local police but felt compelled to act after no action was taken.

Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the arrests. She added that the deceased had been involved in multiple criminal cases, including theft and an attempted sexual assault on a NYSC member in 2023. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.

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