The Rivers State Police Command has arrested two suspected members of a six-man kidnapping syndicate allegedly involved in the abduction of one Mr Hassan, a resident of Rivers State.

The Command disclosed this in a  statement signed by its Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Agabe Blessing Kaborlo, and made available to the Press, in Port Harcourt recently.

According to the statement, the victim was abducted on September 6, 2026, at the vicinity of Fidelity Bank, Garrison, Port Harcourt, and taken to Igbugulu Waterside, Borikiri, where he was held captive for three days.

The Command said it received credible information concerning the abduction on September 7, 2026, at about 1000 hours, following which operatives of its Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU-AKU) commenced intelligence-led operations.

It stated that the victim was eventually released after his relatives reportedly paid the sum of ?10.3 million as ransom to the kidnappers.

The police said the intelligence-led operation subsequently led to the arrest of two suspected members of the syndicate, identified as Victor Ifeanyi, 24, also known as “Big Boby”, and Aniekan Okon Michael, 36, also known as “Duff Man”.

According to the statement, Ifeanyi is a native of Aguleri Community, Otuocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, while Michael hails from Ikot Ukpor, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

The Command said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects had confessed to their alleged involvement in the operation, adding that they also disclosed that the syndicate comprised six members.

It further stated that the suspects revealed that the gang used a white mini-bus, popularly known as Keke bus, during the operation.

The Police said efforts had been intensified to apprehend the remaining members of the syndicate and bring them to justice, assuring residents that the Command would continue to adopt intelligence-led strategies in tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes.

The State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adewole Adepoju, called on members of the public to provide credible information that could assist the police in identifying and apprehending criminal elements.

The Commissioner assured members of the public that information provided to the police would be treated with the necessary confidentiality, while urging residents to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies.

Adepoju asssured that the Command would continue to deploy intelligence-led operations to disrupt kidnapping syndicates and other criminal networks across the state.

He urged residents to report suspicious activities and seek emergency assistance through the Command’s Complaint Response Unit.

King Onunwor

As part of efforts to check the proliferations and continuous operation of illegal health facilities in Rivers State, the State Government has shut down 21 health facilities across four local government areas of the state while two persons were also arrested

The affected facilities eight hospitals, five maternity centres and eight diagnostic centres among others.

Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr. Vincent Wachukwu, disclosed this at the Ministry’s third quarter media briefing in Port Harcourt.

Wachukwu who is the Chairman of the State Anti-quackery Committee, said the facilities were sealed during the committee’s  third quarter 2026 inspection and enforcement exercise.

According to the Permanent Secretary, the exercise covered Port Harcourt City, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre and Etche Local Government Areas

According to him, only about 20 per cent of registered health facilities in the State were complying with the mandatory annual inspection and renewal of their Certificates of Standards.

Wachukwu said 19 of the 21 facilities shut down were operating without registration and below the minimum standards prescribed by the Rivers State Ministry of Health.

“One registered facility was also found to be operating below the required standard, as no licensed health worker, including a doctor or nurse, was present during a random inspection.

“The affected facilities included Manda Clinic, Elelenwo; Vasty Clinic, Omoku; Danny Clinic; Daba Clinic; Kambel Hospital, Abara-Etche; Havilla Hospital, Igwuruta; Golden Era Hospital, Igwuruta; and Ola-Oluwa Medical Centre, Igwuruta,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary said it conducted a joint operation with the Rivers State Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) at Manda Clinic and Maternity in Elelenwo, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

“The operation followed allegations of child trafficking linked to the facility, after a Liberian national reportedly disclosed the procurement of three children from the facility within a month,” he explained.

Wachukwu said investigations showed that the facility was operating without registration and without licensed medical practitioners.

He added that operators of the facility were arrested by NAPTIP, while the ministry sealed the premises.

At Havilla Hospital in Igwuruta, Ikwerre Local Government Area, the ministry said it discovered that the facility was unregistered and operated by a man identified as Isaac, who reportedly claimed to have undergone medical training in Ukraine in 2013.

The Permanent Secretary said the ministry discovered that Isaac did not possess a licence from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and was operating without the required supervision.

“He was arrested and is expected to be referred to the MDCN for further action.

“Similarly, Ola-Oluwa Medical Centre in Igwuruta was sealed after the ministry discovered that its operator, identified as Sunday Ogundele, allegedly had no medical training or licence,” he added.

Ogundele, who reportedly operated the facility from his family residence, was arrested and handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for prosecution over alleged impersonation.

Kambel Hospital in Abara-Etche and Golden Era Hospital in Igwuruta were also shut down after inspectors found that no licensed doctor or nurse was operating at the facilities.

Wachukwu also said the Ministry inspected Sarah Maternity at Belema Polo, Enugu Waterside, Borokiri, operated by a popular social media traditional birth attendant (TBA) influencer, where inspectors found out  that “the facility reportedly had more than 1,000 women on its patient register, with daily traffic of more than 200 women.

 “We used the inspection to establish practice guidelines, supervision requirements and appropriate advertising standards for the facility.

“The operator was issued an official warning and designated as a contact point for other TBAs and maternity facilities on the need for proper supervision and training.

Wachukwu said 16 other facilities sealed during the exercise were found to be unregistered and operating below the minimum standards stipulated under the Rivers State Facility Registration Law No. 2 of 2019.

The Permanent Secretary reiterated the ministry’s commitment to eliminating quackery and unregistered medical facilities as part of its health security mandate.

He directed all registered health facilities to prominently display their Certificates of Standards at their reception areas.

Wachukwu urged individuals and corporate organisations to seek medical care only from facilities with verified Certificates of Standards.

He appealed to members of the public to report suspected cases of quackery and other unsafe medical practices to the ministry.

Wachukwu further announced the commencement of the 2026 enforcement drive against health facilities that fail to comply with annual inspection and renewal of their certificates of minimum standards.

He commended the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NAPTIP, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigerian Medical Association and other professional bodies for supporting efforts to uphold professional standards in healthcare delivery.

John Bibor

The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has warned that digital destruction may lead to a breakdown of law and order in the 2027 general elections in the country if Public Relations practitioners fail to guide against it.

National president of the institute, Dr Ike Neliaku, gave the warning in a goodwill message at the Rivers State Public Relations week in Port Harcourt.

Neliaku, who was represented by Dr Ahmed Sajoh, said Public Relations practitioners must geared up to protect the country from the possible  breakdown of law and order that may be caused by digital destruction.

He also announced plans by the institute to open the first public relations university in the world in Nigeria before the end of the year.

Neliaku said the Rivers State chapter has earned the respect of the national office by setting the pace in the practice of public relations in the country.

Also speaking, Chairman of the occasion, Chief Casca Ogosu, described the event as unique as it was the first time the institute would dedicate a whole week to its activities.

Ogosu also commended the state chapter of the NIPR for nurturing younger ones as future public relations practitioners.

He stressed the need for the Rivers state Government to strengthen its collaboration with the institute with the view to properly informing the people about its activities.

Ogosu described the theme of the week which was “Repositioning Public Relations For Sustainable Development and Digital Transformation in Rivers State” as appropriate, saying the world is in an era when information travel at unprecedented speed.

In his welcome address, the state chairman of the NIPR, Rev. Francis Asuk, said public relations has gone beyond simply managing information, as the rise of Artificial intelligence, social media, data-driven communication, digital platforms and emerging technologies present both opportunities and challenges to public relations practitioners to continuously upgrade their capacities.

Asuk said the Rivers State Public Relations week was conceived to reposition the profession for the future.

According to the chairman, public relations week must help in bridging the gap between institutions and the people they serve as well as promote understanding, manage expectations and create platforms for constructive engagement.

“The Rivers State public Relations week is, therefore, conceived not merely as another professional event but as a platform for learning, reflection networking collaboration and repositioning our profession for the future,” he said.

John Bibor, Kenneth Chinaza & Jennifer Michael