Metro
Mother’s Heartbreak: Son Killed After Failed Ransom Payment in Port Harcourt
Gloria George’s life was shattered on the night of September 10, 2024, when her 34-year-old son, Horsefall Rowland, failed to return home. Earlier that day, Rowland had told his mother he was heading to a meeting at Peter Odili Road in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, but as the hours passed without word from him, Gloria’s anxiety grew.
By 10 pm that night, she had spoken to Rowland, who reassured her he was on his way home. However, when she tried to reach him again later, there was no response. Her worst fears were confirmed early the next morning when Rowland called her at 5 am, frantic with fear. He explained that he had been kidnapped.
As the family desperately scrambled to raise the ransom, they began receiving threatening voice notes and photos from the kidnappers, warning them that Rowland would be killed if the money was not paid. In a last-ditch effort, they sent N30,000, hoping it would save their son’s life. Tragically, it was too late. Rowland’s body was later discovered along Queens/Kings Bakery, Abuloma Road, in Port Harcourt.
In a devastating statement to the police on November 1, 2024, Gloria shared the harrowing details of her son’s captivity. She revealed that the kidnappers initially demanded N2.5 million, though they eventually settled for N300,000. The money was transferred into Rowland’s account, but after that, there was no further contact.
“They sent two threatening voice notes and pictures to Rowland’s girlfriend, saying that if they didn’t receive the N300,000 within the shortest time, we should consider Roland dead,” Gloria said. Unfortunately, that was the last time the family heard from him.
After receiving the family’s complaint, the Rivers State Police Command swiftly launched an investigation, arresting five suspects involved in the crime: Endurance Thompson (23), Boma Otonye (41), David Ishaku (34), Moses Benjamin (29), and Emmanuel (32).
The prime suspect, Thompson, was arrested in his hideout in Woji, Rivers State. He confessed to the crime, revealing that Rowland had been beaten to death after attempting to pay for hard drugs with a fake bank transfer alert.
Thompson explained that Rowland had come to buy “Charlie” (a street name for cocaine) from him on September 11, 2024, around 3 am, behind the Port Harcourt Zoo, Trans Amadi. According to Thompson, Rowland had made a series of fake transfer attempts to pay for the drugs. “I received an alert, but the amount in my account remained unchanged. He owed me N150,000 and claimed to have transferred N8,000 first and N20,000. But the money never actually entered my account,” Thompson said.
An argument broke out over the fake transfer, and Rowland was subsequently beaten. He later begged Thompson to take him to the hospital for treatment. Thompson called a friend, Justice, but by the time they arrived, Rowland had died inside the Keke Marwa that had rushed him to Justice’s place. Thompson informed Justice of the death, and together with another accomplice, Michael, they disposed of Rowland’s body, dumping it beside a bakery on Abuloma Road.
SP Grace Iringe-Koko, spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, confirmed that Rowland’s body had been deposited in the morgue for preservation. She also stated that the investigation is ongoing, with efforts to apprehend other individuals mentioned by the suspects, who were allegedly involved in the beating that led to Rowland’s tragic death.
Metro
SAD! Man Stabbed To Death During Rice Fight On New Year’s Day In Delta Community
An unidentified man has been stabbed to death by another in the Ogwanja area of Sapele in Delta State.
The incident occurred in the early hours of New Year’s Day, reports said. It was learnt that he was killed following an altercation over rice which did not get.
The deceased had reportedly had an argument with another in the area, leading to a physical fight between them.
The suspect killer, whose name residents of the area have refused to disclose reportedly picked a bottle and stabbed the deceased multiple times.
The deceased bled profusely until the vigilante rushed him to the hospital and abandoned his body there.
The remains of the deceased had been taken to a mortuary.
At the time of this report, the Vigilante has refused to disclose the names of the suspects and that of the deceased.
Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe is yet to pick up phone calls as well as reply to text messages sent to him to confirm the report.
DAILY POST
Metro
Commuters groan over relocation of Yenagoa motor parks
Commuters in Yenagoa are groaning over the directive by the Bayelsa State Ministry of Transport to relocate all motor parks operating within Yenagoa and its environs to the new transport terminal at Igbogene in Yenagoa.
Commuters have described their ordeal before getting to their respective destinations, particularly, during this festive season distressing and have expressed dismay and outright annoyance over the insensitivity on the part of the state Ministry of Transport to their plight.
Some said the state government ought to have called all the gazetted transport unions across the state to a roundtable discussion on the matter before embarking on the forceful relocation of the motor parks to Igbogene.
A commuter, Mr Douye Wikimor, noted that the enforcement of the directive by stern-looking security operatives at the motor park at the popular Tombia Roundabout is a misplaced priority and a complete miscalculation on the part of the state Ministry of Transport.
He added that other commuters like himself will have to pay double transportation fares before arriving at their destinations.
Wikimor urged the state government and other relevant stakeholders in the transport sector to re-think and consider the stress and pains the gazetted transport unions and commuters will bear as a result of the sudden and forceful relocation.
President of the Federal University, Otuoke Students Union Government, Comrade Azubike Ekene, said the relocation will cause a lot of inconvenience and pain to students of not only the university but also those of the Niger Delta University, Amassoma.
Ekene said the policy is not bad, especially when viewed against the backdrop of sanitising and decongesting the motor parks within Yenagoa and its environs, but pointed out that the execution of the policy is ill-timed as the planners did not take into consideration the plight of students in the state.
He warned that the student union body will embark on a peaceful protest if the relocation policy is not reconsidered.
In the same vein, another commuter, Tekena Kio, condemned the relocation and centralisation policy, noting that the policy will negatively affect the gazetted transport unions in the state, commuters and small and medium-scale businesses operating within and around the various motor parks.
Kio said the policy will also create room for crime and criminality as the employees of the gazetted unions will be thrown back into the labour market and the motor parks will turn to hideouts for criminals, thereby leading to insecurity in the state.
He averred that it will also affect the internally generated revenue profile of the state from the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the National Union of Road Transport Workers.
He said, “I am a commuter going to Delta State and I used to travel with Agofure buses, but I am surprised that I came to their park this morning to see that the park is under lock and key.
“In this 21st century, the government locked up a private park and business and forced them to relocate to their park which is uncalled for. By our constitution, everybody is allowed to go about their respective businesses without harassment from any quarter.
“Other Bayelsans are in other states doing their legitimate businesses. Agofure built this property to do his legitimate business. I appeal to President Bola Tinubu to wade into the matter and solve the difficulty commuters and private park owners are going through in Bayelsa State.”
Secretary of the Bayelsa State branch of the RTEAN, Comrade Anengima Jonah, bemoaned the policy as the terminal is not built for vehicles of transport unions, but for executive and government-owned transportation schemes, noting that the policy will kill private businesses around the various motor parks.
Jonah said that the gazetted transport unions have succeeded in mopping up large numbers of unemployed youths across the state and urged the state government to have a solid discussion with the unions before going further with the enforcement order, as that is the surest way to resolve the vexing issue.
Metro
2024: Police arrest 575 suspects, recover 142 items in Sokoto
Sokoto State Police Command says it arrested 575 suspects for various crimes and the recovery of 142 items including weapons in 2024.
This was contained in a statement on Wednesday in Sokoto by the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ahmed Musa.
Musa said the suspects comprised those involved in culpable homicide, rape, vandalism, drug abuse, theft, fraud, rustling, and robbery.
He added that the 142 items recovered included a General Purpose Machine Gun, GPMG, with six rounds of live ammunition, nine AK-47 rifles, three magazines, and 341 rounds of live ammunition.
“Today, I can confidently say that we have made significant progress in reducing these crimes to the barest minimum.
“We have implemented innovative strategies to address emerging security challenges, strengthened community partnerships, and enhanced the welfare and training of our officers..
“These achievements were guided by intelligence-led policing, community engagement, increased visibility, and adherence to police ethics.
“We also worked in synergy with other security agencies while upholding the rule of law,” he added.
He applauded the State Government for donating 34 Toyota Hilux vehicles and other support to the command for effective operations.
“We also received one Toyota Hilux and five Hunter motorcycles from the Force Headquarters in Abuja. These have been deployed to areas of need, enhancing the command’s operational capabilities,” Musa said.
The PPRO emphasized the commitment of the command to continue to ensure safety and security in the state.
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