Edith CHUKU
The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has issued a stern warning to cultists in the state to abandon their criminal activities and renounce cultism.
Disu in a statement made available to TNN by the Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, urged them to renounce cultism or face the full weight of the law.
In the statement that came shortly after the state Police command apprehended an alleged notorious armed robber and cult leader, one Mr. Silas Oderereke, who is popularly known as ‘General,’ in Oderereke of Ahoada-West Local Government Area of the state.
The CP congratulated officers of the state police command for what he described as their exceptional work. He assured residents of the state that the state Police command under his leadership remained fully committed to maintaining peace and bolstering security in the state.
On how Oderereke was apprehended, the release explained that “in a major breakthrough, the Rivers State Police Command successfully apprehended a notorious armed robber and cult leader, Silas Oderereke, in Oderereke, Ahoada-West Local Government Area.
“Oderereke, also known as ‘General,’ had been on the run for the past four years, evading arrest. However, his reign of terror came to an end when he resisted arrest and opened fire on the police, resulting in his death.
“As the head of the Greenlanders’ cult group in the Ubie clan of Ahoada West, Oderereke and his gang were infamous for their criminal activities, which included armed robbery, land grabbing, unauthorized sales of buildings, and brutal attacks on those who dared to oppose them. The cult leader would even order the destruction of houses in communities that resisted his criminal enterprises.
“On January 11, 2024, the police received information about Oderereke’s gang’s robbery operation, which also involved vandalizing the property of the late monarch, Eze Robinson O. Robinson.
“Responding swiftly, the police chased the criminals out of town. However, the defiant ‘General’ rallied his gang and launched an attack on a community-owned tank farm in Oderereke, intending to loot its contents. It was during this sabotage attempt that the police managed to apprehend the gang.
“Silas Oderereke and one other member of his gang opened fire on the police team, leading to an exchange of gunfire. In the shootout, Oderereke and his accomplice were neutralized while others sustained injuries. Two other clan leaders, Danger-boy and 2-Man, who frequently collaborated with Oderereke, managed to escape and are currently at large.
“Upon searching the gang’s hideout, the police discovered a G3 Rifle and nineteen 7.62x51mm ammunition. Further investigations uncovered a camp Oderereke had established between Oderereke and Olokuma Communities. This camp served as a base for the cult leader and his numerous followers, from where they launched robbery attacks on innocent members of neighboring communities. The affected communities expressed their relief and shared accounts of residents who had relocated to Port Harcourt due to the mayhem caused by the cult group.”
