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Escapee Ritualist: Police Detain DPO, Inspector …Arrest 23 Suspects In Rivers
In a sustained effort to rid Rivers State of all forms of criminality and crime, the State Police Command has paraded 23 suspects arrested in different locations across the state for various criminal activities.
This is even as the state police command has arrested and detained a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and an Inspector, in connection with the ritual murder of eight-year-old Chikamso Victory in Port Harcourt.
Among the suspects arrested and paraded by the police include one Roland Peter, a member of the notorious kidnapping gang from Edoha in Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state, who allegedly kidnapped and killed Pastor Samuel Okpara on August 15, 2017, and used his liver, intestine as well as other private parts to cook plantain pepper soup.
The state Commissioner of Police, Zaki Mohammed Ahmed disclosed this during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters in Port Harcourt, last Monday.
Zaki added that the police got tip off that the kidnap gang led by one Justus popularly called High Tension from Abarikpo in Ahoada East Local Government Area was in possession of various riffles and other weapons.
The police commissioner further disclosed that operatives of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), in a convert operation, arrested a four-man gang, who allegedly robbed the manager of an old generation bank of her Toyota Corolla.
He stated that the four suspects had connived with her gateman and two of her drivers to snatch the vehicle, which according to him, had been recovered from Lagos State.
The state police boss while giving a breakdown of the command’s achievements, disclosed that five suspected cultists, seven alleged kidnappers and 13 armed robbery suspects were arrested while 13 kidnap victims were rescued.
The CP insisted that five robbery incidents were also foiled by operatives of the command.
He averred that 25 riffles, including three AK-47 riffles, one locally-made pistol, five Pump Action guns, one single barrel gun, 65 cartridges, 156 live ammunition, four magazines and nine vehicles were also recovered during the recent onslaught against criminality and crime in the state.
He, however, said that the event of 19th August, 2017, in which a suspected ritualist, Ifeanyichukwu Maxwell Dike, a 200-level student of University of Port Harcourt murdered and disremembered one Miss Victory Chikamso Mesu for alleged ritual purposes and also escaped from police custody had left a sour taste and created doubt in the command’s avowed fight against crime and criminality.
“I am totally committed in seeing that the suspect is re-arrested and any person involved, regardless of status in aiding the escape of the suspect, will be arrested, and if found culpable, will be dealt with according to the law.
“Consequently, in pursuit of this resolve, one ex-sergeant Johnbosco Okoroeze, who after thorough investigation was discovered to have carried out a pre-meditated action in aiding the escape of the suspect, has been charged to court.
“The said ex-sergeant was tried in a Police Orderly Room for which evidence tendered during the trial revealed that he unilaterally, in a pre-meditated action, released the suspect to run away before raising false alarm of his escape.
“He was accordingly dismissed from the force and charged to court for accessory after the fact to murder, perverting the course of justice and permitting the escape of a murder suspect”, Zaki stated.
He used the opportunity to call for the end of blame game in the matter while asking interested persons in the case to come with a resolve to help the police in seeing that the suspect was re-arrested and brought to face the full wrath of the law.
The police commissioner said that a handsome reward of N1million has already been pledged by the command, even as he said, a second suspect in the crime had also been arrested.
Similarly, a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Rivers State (names withheld) has been arrested on the orders of the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Zaki Mohammed Ahmed, in connection with the escape of the suspected ritualist and rapist, Ifeanyichukwu Maxwell Dike, from police detention.
It would be recalled that Dike was arrested by Okporo Police Station in Port Harcourt while he was trying to dispose of the dismembered body of his eight-year old female relative, Miss Victory Chikamso Mesu, whom he raped and later killed for ritual purposes.
Also, a Police Inspector (names withheld) who led the team of policemen that brought the suspect to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Port Harcourt, where he was handed over to the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), former Sergeant Johnbosco Okoroeze, has also been arrested.
Okoroeze, who has already been dismissed from the police, was last Friday, arraigned and remanded in prison custody by a Chief Magistrate Court for allegedly aiding the escape of Dike.
A source at the SCID headquarters in Port Harcourt told newsmen that the DPO and an Inspector were arrested following revelations that they had prior knowledge of what had happened before the escape of the suspect.
The source said, “The father of the victim was uncomfortable when the police team stopped on the road for the Inspector to answer a call. It was later found out that it was the DPO who called him to expect a call from an IPO, who will be in charge of the case.
“When the Inspector’s phone was checked, there was a call from one Johnbosco, who was the IPO and by the rules of the force, a DPO cannot assign an IPO to a matter that is no longer under him. So, the DPO and Inspector were invited and arrested,” the source added.
Amarachi Anene
President Bola Tinubu yesterday signed into law four tax reform bills aimed at transforming Nigeria’s fiscal and revenue framework.
The four bills include: the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.
They were passed by the National Assembly after months of consultations with various interest groups and stakeholders.
The ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa, yesterday.
The ceremony was witnessed by the leadership of the National Assembly and some legislators, governors, ministers, and aides of the President.
The presidency had earlier stated that the laws would transform tax administration in the country, increase revenue generation, improve the business environment, and give a boost to domestic and foreign investments.
“When the new tax laws become operational, they are expected to significantly transform tax administration in the country, leading to increased revenue generation, improved business environment, and a boost in domestic and foreign investments,” Special Adviser to the President on Media, Bayo Onanuga said on Wednesday.
Before the signing of the four bills, President Tinubu had earlier yesterday, said the tax reform bills will reset Nigeria’s economic trajectory and simplify its complex fiscal landscape.
Announcing the development via his official X handle, yesterday, the President declared, “In a few hours, I will sign four landmark tax reform bills into law, ushering in a bold new era of economic governance in our country.”
Tinubu made a call to investors and citizens alike, saying, “Let the world know that Nigeria is open for business, and this time, everyone has a fair shot.”
He described the bills as not just technical adjustments but a direct intervention to ease burdens on struggling Nigerians.
“These reforms go beyond streamlining tax codes. They deliver the first major, pro-people tax cuts in a generation, targeted relief for low-income earners, small businesses, and families working hard to make ends meet,” Tinubu wrote.
According to the President, “They will unify our fragmented tax system, eliminate wasteful duplications, cut red tape, restore investor confidence, and entrench transparency and coordination at every level.”
He added that the long-standing burden of Nigeria’s tax structure had unfairly weighed down the vulnerable while enabling inefficiency.
The tax reforms, first introduced in October 2024, were part of Tinubu’s post-subsidy-removal recovery plan, aimed at expanding revenue without stifling productivity.
However, the bills faced turbulence at the National Assembly and amongst some state governors who rejected its passing in 2024.
At the NASS, the bills sparked heated debate, particularly around the revenue-sharing structure, which governors from the North opposed.
They warned that a shift toward derivation-based allocations, especially with VAT, could tilt fiscal balance in favour of southern states with stronger consumption bases.
After prolonged dialogue, the VAT rate remained at 7.5 per cent, and a new exemption was introduced to shield minimum wage earners from personal income tax.
By May 2025, the National Assembly passed the harmonised versions with broad support, driven in part by pressure from economic stakeholders and international observers who welcomed the clarity and efficiency the reforms promised.
In his tweet, Tinubu stressed that this is just the beginning of Nigeria’s tax evolution.
“We are laying the foundation for a tax regime that is fair, transparent, and fit for a modern, ambitious Nigeria.
“A tax regime that rewards enterprise, protects the vulnerable, and mobilises revenue without punishing productivity,” he stated.
He further acknowledged the contributions of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee, the National Assembly, and Nigeria’s subnational governments.
The President added, “We are not just signing tax bills but rewriting the social contract.
“We are not there yet, but we are firmly on the road.”
The Senate has issued a 10-day ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over its failure to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts probing alleged financial discrepancies amounting to over ?210 trillion in its audited reports from 2017 to 2023.
Despite being summoned, no officials or external auditors from NNPCL showed up yesterday.
However, representatives from the representatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and Department of State Services were present.
Angered by the NNPCL’s absence, the committee, yesterday, issued a 10-day ultimatum, demanding the company’s top executives to appear before the panel by July 10 or face constitutional sanctions.
A letter from NNPCL’s Chief Financial Officer, Dapo Segun, dated June 25, was read at the session.
It cited an ongoing management retreat and requested a two-month extension to prepare necessary documents and responses.
The letter partly read, “Having carefully reviewed your request, we hereby request your kind consideration to reschedule the engagement for a period of two months from now to enable us to collate the requested information and documentation.
“Furthermore, members of the Board and the senior management team of NNPC Limited are currently out of the office for a retreat, which makes it difficult to attend the rescheduled session on Thursday, 26th June, 2025.
“While appreciating the opportunity provided and the importance of this engagement, we reassure you of our commitment to the success of this exercise. Please accept the assurances of our highest regards.”
But lawmakers rejected the request.
The Committee Chairman, Senator Aliyu Wadada, said NNPCL was not expected to submit documents, but rather provide verbal responses to 11 key questions previously sent.
“For an institution like NNPCL to ask for two months to respond to questions from its own audited records is unacceptable,” Wadada stated.
“If they fail to show up by July 10, we will invoke our constitutional powers. The Nigerian people deserve answers,” he warned.
Other lawmakers echoed similar frustrations.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) insisted that NNPCL’s Group CEO, Bayo Ojulari, must personally lead the delegation at the next hearing.
The Tide reports that Ojulari took over from Mele Kyari on April 2, 2025.
Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi (Ebonyi North) said the two-month request suggested the company had no answers, but the committee would still grant a fair hearing by reconvening on July 10.
Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) warned the NNPCL against undermining the Senate, saying, “If they fail to appear again, Nigerians will know the Senate is not a toothless bulldog.”
Last week, the Senate panel grilled Segun and other top executives over what they described as “mind-boggling” irregularities in NNPCL’s financial statements.
The Senate flagged ?103 trillion in accrued expenses, including ?600 billion in retention fees, legal, and auditing costs—without supporting documentation.
Also questioned was another ?103 trillion listed under receivables. Just before the hearing, NNPCL submitted a revised report contradicting the previously published figures, raising more concerns.
The committee has demanded detailed answers to 11 specific queries and warned that failure to comply could trigger legislative consequences.
The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) said over 17 million Nigerians travelled out between 2023 and 2024.
This is as the association announced that it would be organising a maiden edition of Eastern Travel Market 2025 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital from 27th to 30th August, 2025.
Vice Chairman of NANTA, Eastern Zone, Hope Ehiogie, disclosed this during a news briefing in Port Harcourt.
Ehiogie explained that the event aims to bring together over 1,000 travel professionals to discuss the future of the industry in the nation and give visibility to airlines, hospitality firms, hospitals and institutions in the South-South and South-East, tagged Eastern Zone.
He stated that the 17 million number marks a significant increase in overseas travel and tours.
According to him, “Nigerian travel industry has seen significant growth, with 17 million people traveling out of the country in 2023”.
Ehiogie further said the potential of tourism and travel would bring in over $12 million into the nation’s economy by 2026, saying it would be a major spike in the sector, as 2024 recorded about $4 million.
“The potential of tourism and travel is that it can generate about $12 million for the nation’s economy by 2026. Last year it was $4 million.
“In the area of travels, over 17 million Nigerians traveled out of the country two years ago for different purposes. This included, health, religious purposes, visit, education and others,” Ehiogie said.
While highlighting the potential of Nigeria’s tourism, he said the hospitality industry in Nigeria has come of age, saying it is now second to none.
The Vice Chairman of NANTA, Eastern Zone further said, “We are not creating an enabling environment for business to thrive. We need to support the industry and provide the necessary infrastructure for growth.”
He said the country has a lot of tourism potential, especially as the government is now showing interest in and supporting the sector.
Ehiogie emphasized that NANTA has been working to support the industry with initiatives such as training schools and platforms for airlines and hotels to sell their products.
He added, “We now have about four to five training schools in the region, and within two years, the first set of students will graduate. We are helping airlines sell tickets and hotels sell their rooms.”
Also speaking, former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NANTA, Stephen Isokariari of Dial Travels, called for more support from the industry.
Isokariari stated, “We need to work together to grow the industry and contribute to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
“With the right support and infrastructure, the Nigerian travel industry has the potential to make a significant contribution to the nation’s economy.”