Vigilante leader, 2 others nabbed for allegedly torturing man to death in Rivers
The Youth Joint Task Force in the Ukpeliede community, Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, has arrested a vigilante vice chairman and two other members of the group for allegedly torturing a man to death over allegations of stealing palm fruits in the Okogbe community. The suspects, identified as Mr. Joshua, Friday Silas, […]
The Youth Joint Task Force in the Ukpeliede community, Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, has arrested a vigilante vice chairman and two other members of the group for allegedly torturing a man to death over allegations of stealing palm fruits in the Okogbe community.
The suspects, identified as Mr. Joshua, Friday Silas, and a motorcycle rider, Mr. Godlove Obed, were apprehended on Sunday.
They were reportedly caught while attempting to dump the body of a man popularly known in the area as ‘Ghadafi,’ whom they allegedly tortured to death.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Rivers State, CSP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the arrests to newsmen in Port Harcourt, stating that an investigation is ongoing to ascertain the official cause of his death.
Graphic pictures and videos of the corpse sighted after the incident showed the deceased naked, with his hands and legs bound by ropes.
Sources indicated that the victim had allegedly been terrorizing the community, and the suspects claimed they apprehended him with the intention of banishing him before he died in their custody.
Residents told Daily Trust that the deceased had been involved in various theft cases and had allegedly attempted to rape a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 2023.
The Security Coordinator of the Ukpeliede Community, Mr. Osiga King, told newsmen that the area has faced frequent attacks by hoodlums.
“Lately, we have seen communities like Idu Ekpeye being invaded by these boys. As security coordinator, I met with soldiers guarding facilities in our community to ensure we remained on guard,” King said.
“On February 8, 2026, at about 1:30 pm, we sighted a motorcycle carrying what appeared to be a dead body toward the Idu Ekpeye community. Upon tracing them, we discovered they had dropped a corpse in my community, Ukpeliede. I alerted the soldiers and the DSS Director in Akinima, who then informed the DPO.”
King explained that after dropping the first suspect, identified as Okpara Chinyere, the motorcyclist (Obed Godlove) returned with Joshua and Friday Silas to move the body to a different location.
“That was when we pursued them as they headed back toward the Okogbe community and intercepted them on the road. The suspects eventually led us to where they had moved the corpse. They confessed to torturing the young man known as Ghadafi to death in the presence of their traditional ruler, claiming he had been stealing palm fruits and other valuables,” King added.
The Rivers State Police Command is currently investigating the matter to ensure all those involved in the extrajudicial killing are brought to justice.