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Rivers Police Investigate Trader’s Murder
The Rivers State Police Command has commenced investigation into the murder of a trader along the Sam Woko Street axis of Mile 3 Market, Port Harcourt.
The Tide learnt that the trader whose name was simply given as Ikechukwu alias Dada from Igbo extraction, met his death last Thursday during a fight between him and one Mr. Kelechi Onwumere, who allegedly stabbed him (Ikechukwu) with a dangerous weapon.
The Chairman, Sam Woko Street Market Traders Association, Mile 3, Hon. Nnaemeka Malobi who spoke to The Tide said the fight started while he was at Ikoku addressing members of the Bottling/Scraps Union in a meeting.
According to him, “I was there when I was informed that two of my members are fighting. By the time I could get to Sam Woko market, somebody was already down in a pool of blood while other traders were running away for fear of mass arrest.
He regretted that the traders who witnessed the scuffle between the deceased, Ikechukwu and Kelechi now at large, could not intervene to stop it.
“What I did was to immediately report the matter to the Police Station at UST round about. They took the body of the deceased to the University of Port Harcourt teaching Hospital (UPTH), Choba where it was confirmed dead”, Mr. Malobi said.
The traders’ chairman further told The Tide that the fight was noticed just as some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on a door-to-door rally were asking the traders to go to the Government Secondary School, Nkpolu field with their PVCs to show and collect alleged N10,000 per person, pointing out that the dead was a PDP supporter.
But a trader who requested not to be named said the fight was a spill over of a misunderstanding between the duo, which started on Wednesday as a result of a union taskforce matter, which resulted in the deceased allegedly inviting a group of boys to fight Kelechi.
The trader also confessed being a beneficiary of the alleged N10,000.
Mr. Malobi, the traders’ leader appealed to the Police to investigate the matter thoroughly and come out with the root cause of it, saying that the traders have not witnessed such an incidence in the past eight years.
When contacted, the Divisional Crime officer (DCO) at the UST round about Police Station confirmed the matter, saying “we are on the investigation”, but declined to comment further.
Meanwhile, the corpse of the deceased, Ikechukwu had been deposited at the UPTH morgue for autopsy.
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RSG INAUGURATES ARMED FORCES REMEMBRANCE DAY COMMITTEE
The Rivers State Government has inaugurated a Central Planning Committee to organize the celebration of the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day (AFRD) in the State.
The committee was formally inaugurated by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Benibo Anabraba in Port Harcourt, last Thursday.
Dr Anabraba who also serves as Chairman of the Committee
highlighted the State Government’s deep appreciation for the sacrifices of Nigeria’s fallen heroes who laid down their lives for the nation’s peace and unity.
“These heroes have given their lives for the security and peace of our nation and deserve to be celebrated. The Armed Forces Remembrance Day is an opportunity to show our gratitude for their sacrifice,” he said.
Dr. Anabraba further extended recognition to all Security Agencies in the State, emphasizing the importance of the event in appreciating their contributions to national security and sovereignty.
The annual Armed Forces Remembrance Day, observed on January 15 across the country is dedicated to remember Nigeria’s departed soldiers and honouring the nation’s veterans.
