News
Rivers Security Council Lauds Police Over Serial Killer’s Arrest
The Rivers State Security Council has commended the Nigeria Police for arresting the prime suspect of the ritual killings targeted at young women in parts of the state.
Addressing journalists at the Government House, Port Harcourt, after an emergency meeting of the Rivers State Security Council presided over by Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, last Friday, Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr Tammy Danagogo, said that the meeting was impressed by the successes recorded by the police in the last few days, especially the arrest of three suspects.
Danagogo said that the meeting commended the painstaking efforts of the Nigeria Police and other security agencies, which have led to improved security across the state.
“The Rivers State Government has absolute confidence in the ability of the police and other security agencies to tackle the challenge posed by these killers who target young women “, Danagogo said.
He said that given the confession by the prime suspect of the killings, he has operated successfully in Lagos and Imo states and evaded arrest, but was apprehended in Rivers State because of the alertness of the police in the state.
“The police and other security agencies in Rivers State are on top of their game because of the support that they receive from the Rivers State Government under the leadership of Governor Wike.
“These successes show that the support given to security outfits like the ‘Operation Sting’ and other covet security initiatives is yielding positive results”, he said.
Danagogo urged members of the public to remain vigilant and support the security agencies with credible information to fish out other accomplices of the suspected criminals.
He said that the Rivers State Security Council advised young women and other residents not to let down their guards despite the arrest of the prime suspect.
The SSG explained that the Rivers State governor directed all the security agencies to step up security alertness across the state, assuring that the administration will continue to provide logistical and financial support for all operations to protect Rivers people.
Earlier, the 39-year old notorious serial killer of women in hotels, Gracious David West, from Buguma in Asari-Toru Local Government Area, had confessed that he had actually killed’ a total of seven people, and started killing from Ikeja, Lagos before moving to Owerri in Imo State and later Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He confessed that in Port Harcourt, he killed five persons; one in Ikeja and another in Owerri; and survived on the money he stole from the victims’ accounts by using their ATMs cards.
West made the confession, last Friday, while being paraded by the Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Dandaura, at the Rivers State Police Headquarters.
On the motive behind his actions, he said: “I don’t know what always came over me to kill. After I had killed, I would feel remorse and I then I would cry. But after that, the irresistible urge to kill would come over me again. I killed alone.”
About belonging to a cult group, he said… “I was a member of the Degbam cult group, I have since repented. I was not killing for any cult group. I just killed. I don’t know what always came over me to kill.”
On how he had been surviving, he revealed: “The first woman I killed in one of the hotels at Ikeja had about N85,000 in her account.
“Before I strangulated them after love making, I would use knife to cut the hotel bed sheets into a semblance of a twine or rope which I used to bind their hands and feet. I used the knife also to threaten them. The kitchen knife was sold to me by an Aboki. I threatened that if my victims raised alarm I would kill them with the knife. Out of fear, they would keep quiet while I raised the volume of the television set in the hotel room to dwarf any noise. I never killed with the knife.”
West also revealed that before he killed his female victims he insisted on knowing their account balance and ATM pins.
“After strangulating them, I would steal their ATM cards, empty their accounts from any nearby ATM machine and move on. It is not all the girls I slept with that I killed. I killed only whenever the irresistible urge to kill overwhelmed me. l don’t have a house. My mother died through poisoning from her mate and I am homeless. I sleep in hotels.”
He also revealed that he sold the phones he stole from his victims to a customer in Waterlines Junction off Port Harcourt/Aba Expressway and another buyer around MTN office by Oil Mill Market in Port Harcourt.
He also confirmed that he was one of the ex-militants rehabilitated by the Omega Power Ministry (OPM), adding that he secured a job at Federal University of Science and Technology (FUTO), Owerri, through the church but bolted with students’ properties.
The suspect, who at a point broke down in tears also told journalists that he tried to seek spiritual deliverance from Christ Chosen Church.
He was also in Salvation Ministries but to no avail because he couldn’t secure accommodation to follow through.
Dandaura disclosed that his insistence on hotels in the state to install Close-Circuit Television Cameras (CCTVs) had yielded results.
He vowed that the police under his command would fight crimes headlong in the state.
The CP said that following joint operations with the Army and other security agencies, the killings in Ogoniland are dropping, while “I have stabilized East-West Road, the Elele-Owerri Road.
Dandaura called on political gladiators in the state to come together and move the state forward and that the command under him would be nonpartisan in the discharge of its duties.
He stated further: “The suspect is definitely not alone in these killings, though he has made useful confessions but the command will go beyond his confessions to ensure that a conclusive end is achieved that serves the interest of Justice.
He said so far three suspects are in police custody and are being investigated in connection with these killings, assuring that they will be paraded soon as soon as investigations are concluded.
Our correspondent, who was at the police headquarters, observed curiously that despite knowing that he was on the wanted list by the police, he never changed his stripped T-shirt and pair of jeans trousers.
He used to have them washed by the laundry of the hotels he lodged after which he would put them on when dried before checking out.
The Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBE) has trained 1,000 newly recruited teachers with a view to raising standards in public primary and junior secondary schools in the state.
The two-day orientation and capacity building programme held in Port Harcourt introduced the teachers to civil service rules, classroom management practices, and professional conduct expected of educators in the state.
The State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, told the newly recruited teachers that teaching demands more than academic qualifications, and called for discipline, diligence, and a strong commitment to service.
He described teaching as a noble profession that is central to the development of the state.
The recruitment, he said, reflects the government’s investment in children and long-term development.
“Education is the foundation of societal progress, and basic education is where that foundation is laid,” Nwagor stated.
He urged the teachers to shape the values and character of pupils during their most formative years.
He pledged continued support from the Ministry of Education through training, resources, and an environment that allows teachers to perform effectively.
Nwagor directed RSUBEB to reject transfer requests from rural to urban schools, saying the newly employed teachers have an obligation to serve where they are posted and help strengthen education in those communities.
In his opening remarks, the RSUBEB Chairman, Hon. Sam Oge, explained that the recruitment process began in 2023 under the previous board, adding that after assuming office, he consulted widely and secured Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s approval to complete the exercise.
Oge said the selection was competitive, with 1,000 candidates chosen from more than 5,000 applicants, and urged the teachers to treat the opportunity seriously and avoid lobbying for reposting.
He directed the teachers to resume at their assigned schools immediately, saying request for reposting will not be entertained.
The former RSUBEB Chairman, Ven. Dr. Fyneface Akah, who delivered the keynote address, described the orientation as the teachers’ formal entry into the civil service.
He urged them to be creative, purposeful, and open to learning on the job.
Akah stressed that teachers have a role in restoring values lost to moral decline, and urged them to model national values and see their work as a calling with lasting impact on the society.
He thanked the State Government for approving the recruitment, noting that the exercise will improve access to quality basic education across the State.
Akujobi Amadi
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that no fewer than 1.4 million members of the National Youth Service Corps will be deployed for the 2027 general elections.
The Chairman of the commission, Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN), made this known on Monday during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of the NYSC, Brig Gen Olakunle Nafiu, at the Yakubu Gowon House, headquarters of the scheme, in Abuja.
Amupitan, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser, Adedayo Oketola, described the meeting with the NYSC senior management team as more than a formal courtesy visit, saying it was also a mission of gratitude.
According to him, the NYSC remains a critical pillar in Nigeria’s democratic process.
He noted that corps members had participated in virtually every election cycle since 1999, stressing that, “INEC cannot conduct elections in Nigeria without the NYSC.
“As the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, I am honoured to discuss our collaborative efforts toward ensuring seamless and credible elections in Nigeria.
“You provide the heartbeat of our field operations. When we speak of election manpower, we are essentially speaking of corps members.
“They are the most dedicated, educated and patriotic election duty staff we have, and their presence at polling units brings a level of neutrality and public confidence that is irreplaceable.
“They form the backbone of our election processes, especially as ad hoc staff, whose dedication, discipline and patriotism are critical to the success of our elections,” he added.
Amupitan said institutional data from the 2023 general election showed the importance of the partnership between INEC and the NYSC.
He explained that INEC deployed about 1.2 million ad hoc staff for the 2023 elections, with over 70 per cent, nearly 850,000 personnel drawn from corps members and student volunteers.
Speaking on preparations for the 2027 elections, the INEC chairman said more than 1.4 million ad hoc staff would be engaged, with corps members making up the majority.
“For the 2027 general election, we will require 707,384 ad hoc staff for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027.
“The same number will be needed for the governorship and Houses of Assembly elections on February 6, 2027, making a total of 1,414,768,” he said.
He added that INEC would also require 52,446 corps members for the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, as well as by-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi and Kano states.
Amupitan said corps members accounted for nearly 90 per cent of Registration Area Officers and Presiding Officers in many states during previous elections.
“These young Nigerians did not just facilitate voting; they protected the sanctity of the ballot in 176,846 polling units across some of the most difficult terrains in the country,” he said.
He further praised the corps members for their role in off-cycle elections, particularly the Anambra governorship election and the FCT Area Council polls.
According to him, their digital proficiency contributed significantly to the seamless operation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System.
“In those exercises, it was the digital proficiency of corps members that ensured the seamless performance of our BVAS, proving they are the tech-savvy backbone of our modern democracy,” he added.
Amupitan acknowledged the sacrifices made by corps members during elections and assured that INEC would continue to work with the NYSC and security agencies to strengthen safety measures and welfare packages for them.
As the 2027 general election approaches, we are committed to ensuring adequate mobilisation and preparedness of NYSC members for this important national assignment,” he said.
He also noted that the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, scheduled for June 20 and August 15, respectively, alongside several by-elections, would serve as tests for innovations ahead of the 2027 elections.
Responding, Brig. Gen. Nafiu thanked INEC for its continued collaboration with the scheme.
He recalled that the Memorandum of Understanding between both organisations was signed in 2011 and had been periodically renewed.
Nafiu described corps members as credible, reliable and easily trainable manpower.
“The last batch of millennials will soon exit the scheme, leaving behind Gen Z corps members known for their digital savviness, which will benefit INEC,” he said.
He assured the commission of the NYSC’s continued support in both the 2027 general elections and upcoming off-cycle elections.
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