News
How Nemesis Caught Up With Ritual Murder Suspect …PH Agog As Residents Jubilate …DPO, Inspector Released From Detention
Facts have emerged on how the police re-arrested the ritual murder suspect, Ifeanyichukwu Maxwell Dike, who escaped from the Criminal Investigative Department (CID) of Rivers State Police Command, last month.
The escapee murder suspect, a 200-level student of the University of Port Harcourt, was alleged to have defiled and murdered an eight-year-old girl, Miss Victory Chikamso Nmesu at Messiah Street, Eliozu Community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state for ritual purposes.
It would be recalled that the suspect was arrested by the vigilante group in the community and later handed over to the officers of the Okporo Police Station, who in turn, handed Dike over to the dismissed Investigating Police Officer (IPO), Sergeant Johnbosco Okoroeze, now in prison custody.
However, luck ran out of him, last Friday, when officers of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Plateau State Police Command arrested him over alleged armed robbery incident in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state.
The Tide learnt that the news of the re-arrest of Ifeanyichukwu filtered into the state, following a phone conversation officials of SARS in Plateau State Command allegedly had with one Mrs Blessing Dike, an elder sister to the murder suspect.
The Tide gathered that Mrs Blessing Dike was contacted by SARS informing her of the arrest of Ifeanyichukwu Dike, his younger brother in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State, following his involvement in an undisclosed armed robbery incident.
It was learnt that Mrs Dike later informed the SARS team that his younger brother was wanted by the Rivers State Police Command over a murder case.
Sources told The Tide that it was after the discussion with Mrs Dike that authorities of the Plateau State Police Command called to inform the Rivers State Police Commissioner, Zaki Mohammed Ahmed that the escapee murder suspect had been re-arrested.
Confirming the re-arrest of Ifeanyichukwu Dike by the Plateau State Police Command, last Friday, the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Nnamdi Omoni told newsmen in Port Harcourt that the command was fully in touch with its counterpart in Plateau State, adding that the information about the ritual murder suspect’s re-arrest has been ascertained.
Omoni further disclosed that a detachment of police from the command led by DCP in-charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) has been despatched to Plateau State in order to bring the suspect back to the state to face prosecution.
Meanwhile, the parents of the murdered little Miss Chikamso Victory and residents of Eliozu community have continued their jubilation over the re-arrest of Ifeanyichukwu Dike by the police.
Some the residents, who spoke to newsmen, at the weekend, described his re-arrest as an act of God.
They lauded the police for their steadfastness and diligence in the re-arrest of the murder suspect, adding that such feats will spur further public confidence in the police.
They urged the police not to be in a hurry to prosecute the suspect but called for thorough investigation to unravel and unmask other accomplices in the matter.
However, The Tide learnt that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and a serving Inspector of Police (names withheld) who were earlier arrested in connection with Ifeanyichukwu Dike’s escape have been released from police detention.
A senior police officer, who spoke to The Tide on condition of anonymity, said the two police officers were released, last Friday morning, adding that they were still being investigated on their roles in the escape saga.
He claimed that the DPO, the dismissed IPO and the murder suspect were alleged to have hailed from the same community in Imo State.
The source further revealed that the DCP, SCID was dispatched to Plateau in order to ascertain the role of the DPO, inspector and the dismissed sergeant in the escape of the suspect.
The Tide reports that nemesis caught up with Dike, barely 19 days after his escape from the custody of the Rivers State Police Command on August 20.
The Tide can authoritative report that Dike was, last Friday, re-arrested by the Plateau State Police Command in Barkin Ladi, near Jos, shortly after he attempted to rob residents of an apartment in the area.
Speaking to newsmen in Jos, Dike confessed that he travelled to Jos from Port Harcourt through a trailer that loaded goods to Jos.
The most wanted ritual killer, whose pictures were widely circulated in both social and conventional media as well as police formations across the country, said “I came to Jos on August 21, 2017 because I was trying to run away from the alleged ritual offence I was said to have committed.
“But I am not a ritual killer. I only raped the girl.
“I only had sex with the girl, and cut off her body while trying to escape from the environment, but I am not a ritual killer,” he said.
The notorious Dike, who does not appear his declared age, and also inconsistent with his lies, however, did not disclose what he planned to do with the little girl’s vital body parts he had severed.
While speaking on why he was arrested trying to rob a house in Barkin Ladi, he said: “I thought it was an abandoned house because I was looking for a place to hide so that people will not identify me.
“But unfortunately, the owner was in the house, and he raised alarm. Following the alarm, I was arrested by the police.”
He also claimed that hunger forced him into the robbery incident during which he was apprehended.
While confirming the re-arrest, the Plateau State Police Commissioner of Police, Peter Ogunyanwo said the suspected ritual killer was arrested following information from residents of an apartment in Barkin Ladi area near Jos about an attempted robbery by the wanted criminal.
Ogunyanwo, who briefed newsmen in Jos, said that the suspect was arrested by officers and men of the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad (FARS).
“The suspect was nabbed in the early hours of Friday, in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state, while robbing a house,” he said, adding that the suspect had barely spent 10 days in Plateau before his re-arrest.
According to Ogunyanwo, the suspect was initially arrested on August 19, after he allegedly killed an eight-year-old girl, but escaped from detention four days later.
He said that Dike’s re-arrest had a divine angle to it “because you cannot spill blood and go free; God will definitely arrest you.
“We have alerted the police in Rivers State. As soon as they are ready, they will come and pick him,” Ogunyanwo said, assuring that Dike has been placed in a secure detention cell while awaiting his safe transfer to Port Harcourt.
Dike, a 200-level Physics student of the University of Port Harcourt, was apprehended by a vigilante group in Eliozu area of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State on his way to dispose of the body of eight-year old Victory Chikamso Nmesu, whom he allegedly kidnapped, raped and murdered.
The suspected ritual killer, however, escaped from detention at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, barely 24 hours after being paraded by the state Commissioner of Police, Zaki Mohammed Ahmed.
The suspect, after escaping from custody, went into hiding and later boarded an articulated vehicle to Jos.
Similarly, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Zaki Ahmed has confirmed that he was in touch with his Plateau State counterpart on the re-arrest and custody of the ritual murder suspect, adding that plans were in place to transfer the suspect to Port Harcourt to face justice.
The Tide recalls that the vigilante group had been handed over the suspect to officers of the Okporo Police Station, on Saturday, August 19.
The men of Okporo Police Station, had in turn, transferred the alleged ritual killer to the SCID for further investigations and prosecution.
The suspect was arrested and paraded on Saturday, 19th August, 2017, only to escape from the Investigating Police Officer, Sergeant Johnbosco Okoroeze, shortly after taking his statement on oath at the highly secured security department in the heart of Port Harcourt.
Following the embarrassing incident, angry Zaki Ahmed later told newsmen in Port Harcourt that Sergeant Johnbosco Okoroeze was found guilty of carrying out premeditated action and aided the escape of the prime suspect, even before he was taken into custody.
“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 and has been remanded in prison custody”, Ahmed declared.
Zaki also revealed that another suspect has been arrested in connection with the killing, following the lead provided in Ifeanyi’s statement at the police station.
It would be recalled that the Rivers State Police Command had offered a reward of N1million for whoever will provide useful information that would lead to the arrest of the fleeing suspect.
In the same manner, the Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Adol Peterside, also pledged N500,000 reward for anyone with useful information that could aid police re-arrest of the principal suspect in the murder of the eight-year old girl.
In a related development, passengers of an Owerri-bound bus from Port Harcourt, last Thursday, were kidnapped shortly after Omagwa, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, by gunmen.
The Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, who confirmed the abduction, said that out of the 14 passengers kidnapped, 11 have been rescued.
Omoni added that crack security operatives were combing the bushes in that axis of Ikwerre Local Government Area to free the three that were still being held hostage by the dare-devil criminals.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 1.63 million pills of tramadol concealed in two long trailers heading for Kano as it intensified efforts to dismantle a transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating along the Togo-Benin Republic-Nigeria corridor.
The agency also arrested an 80-year-old suspected drug dealer in Rivers State, a businesswoman linked to cannabis shipments from Canada, a Chadian woman, a couple and other suspects in coordinated operations across Lagos, Edo, Kogi and Rivers states.
The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement, yesterday.
According to the statement, the latest intelligence-led operation came barely one week after NDLEA operatives recovered 558,900 pills of tramadol concealed in the false-bottom compartment of a truck that entered Lagos through the Togo-Benin Republic route.
Babafemi said, “Ongoing efforts to dismantle a transnational drug trafficking syndicate smuggling tramadol from Togo, through Benin Republic into Nigeria have yielded another success with the interception of two long trailers used to move One Million Six Hundred and Thirty (1,630,000) pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in fabricated compartments of the trucks across multiple borders into Lagos.”
He added that one of the two trailers was intercepted on July 2 along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, where operatives recovered 853,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in a fabricated compartment beneath the cargo floor.
Babafemi said, “One of the two trucks already heading to Kano was tracked and located on 2nd July 2026 along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway where NDLEA officers recovered 853,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in a fabricated compartment beneath the cargo floor of the trailer and arrested the 22-year-old driver Jabir Kabiru.”
He further disclosed that another trailer was intercepted two days later on the same route.
“Two days later, 4th July, NDLEA operatives acting on processed intelligence successfully tracked and recovered the second trailer from the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway while heading to Kano. A total of 777,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in a fabricated compartment beneath the cargo floor of the truck were evacuated and the 22-year-old driver Muhammed Nuhu arrested,” the statement read.
According to Babafemi, investigations established a link between the three intercepted consignments.
He said, “Investigations revealed that all three trucks and consignments intercepted on 21st June, 2nd July and 4th July belong to the same transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating along the Togo-Benin Republic-Nigeria axis.”
The agency also intercepted 4.70 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
Babafemi said, “Two consignments of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, with a combined weight of 4.70 kilograms have been intercepted at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos. The cargoes, which arrived the Lagos airport from Canada in cartons with ‘Odugwu’ boldly written on them, came aboard British Airways and Ethiopian Airlines flights on 24th June and 3rd July respectively.”
He said two cargo agents, Ali Rotimi Samson and Orimolade Oluwagbenga, were initially arrested in connection with the shipments, while another suspect, Edeh Onyeamachi Stanislus, was apprehended after arriving at a logistics company to take delivery of the consignments.
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction has denied claims that it has commenced registration for a purported ?50,000 National Support Allowance.
The ministry, in a public notice posted on its official X handle, yesterday, described messages, links and websites advertising the alleged programme as fraudulent.
It urged Nigerians to disregard such claims and verify information only through official government channels.
“The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction has NOT commenced registration for any ?50,000 National Support Allowance,” the ministry said.
It added, “Disregard fraudulent messages, links and websites claiming otherwise. Verify any info only through official govt channels.”
The alert is in response to a circulating scam flyer that falsely claims the program is ongoing under President Bola Tinubu’s directives.
The fake advertisement, which includes text in Hausa and English, directs victims to a suspicious website (kluspz.com) for applications.
The ministry’s warning comes amid heightened concerns over digital fraud targeting vulnerable populations seeking social support.
Similar scams have previously surfaced around programs like N-Power, prompting questions from citizens in replies to the official post.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed its preparedness for a major national struggle for a comprehensive review of the national minimum wage.
NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, hinted at this while making his remarks at the commissioning of the Comrade Godwin Abumisi Pensioners Legacy House and Multipurpose Hall in Abuja.
Ajaero said it is no longer acceptable to discuss the welfare of workers without also discussing the welfare of those who have completed their active years of service.
He advised workers and pensioners to get prepared for the ideological and economic battles that lie ahead.
According to the NLC president, “The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) is one of the proud affiliates of the Nigeria Labour Congress. Therefore, your struggle is our struggle, and your welfare remains a priority for the organised labour movement.
“We are currently in the preparatory stages for a major national struggle for a comprehensive review of the national minimum wage.
“However, let me state unequivocally that it is no longer acceptable to discuss the welfare of workers without also discussing the welfare of those who have completed their active years of service.
“Accordingly, the Nigeria Labour Congress will not only push for a new national minimum wage but will also demand the establishment of a national minimum pension. It is a historical injustice that men and women who devoted their youth, strength and productive years to the service of this nation should be condemned to live below the poverty line after retirement.”
Ajaero noted that the cost of living has risen astronomically as food, healthcare and transportation have become increasingly unaffordable.
“We cannot continue to allow our senior citizens to survive on pensions that have become poverty wages. Every retiree deserves to live with dignity after decades of faithful service to the nation,” he said.
He urged pensioners across the country to remain united and prepared as the process begins, adding: “This Legacy House should not merely be seen as a physical structure; it should become a centre for mobilisation, strategic engagement and solidarity as we prepare for the struggles ahead.”
The NLC president pointed out that the working class has always understood that “those who exploit workers are united in advancing their interests. We too must remain united in defending our collective interests and ensuring that government fulfils its obligations to both serving workers and retirees.”
He urged pensioners across the country to remain united and prepared as the process begins, adding: “This Legacy House should not merely be seen as a physical structure; it should become a centre for mobilisation, strategic engagement and solidarity as we prepare for the struggles ahead.”
The NLC president pointed out that the working class has always understood that “those who exploit workers are united in advancing their interests. We too must remain united in defending our collective interests and ensuring that government fulfils its obligations to both serving workers and retirees.”
He said the completion of the project should serve as a clarion call to all workers and lovers of the masses.
“We must not only build physical structures but also build a strong movement capable of compelling government to honour its commitments,” he said.
Ajaero further stated: “We will continue to demand the immediate payment of all outstanding pension arrears and the implementation of a pension regime that guarantees every retiree a life of dignity and security.
“Together, we shall continue to fight until every Nigerian worker and pensioner receives the justice, respect and welfare they deserve.”