The Rivers State Police Command has apprehended Felix Nwaobakata, the commander of a local vigilante group, with two human skulls and other human remains at his hideout in Omoku, the headquarters of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area.
In addition, police have arrested seven other members of the vigilante group for various crimes, including murder, as part of a crackdown on the activities of vigilante groups in the state.
The spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, revealed this information in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Wednesday. Iringe-Koko mentioned that Nwaobakata, who leads the ONELGA Security and Peace Advisory Committee (OSPAC), is a key suspect in the murder of two brothers in Idu, Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni LGA, on May 1, 2024. The brothers were accused of being kidnappers.
The statement highlighted that the arrests of Nwaobakata and other OSPAC members were a response to numerous complaints regarding their operations, particularly in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LG, where the vigilante group had also attacked a police division and clashed with other security agencies.
The statement also detailed an incident on May 9, 2024, when Alhaji Usman Seleh, the Chairman of the Hausa Indigenous Group in ONELGA, reported the abduction of a group member by OSPAC. Despite police invitations, Nwaobakata did not respond and instead, coordinated an attack on the Omoku police division, which was repelled by the police.
Subsequently, the police tactical units raided the OSPAC camp in Omoku, arresting several members including Cheta Benjamin, Joshua Ekwosa, and Innocent Ahiakwu. Nwaobakata was later captured at his hideout on June 17, 2024, where human remains were discovered.
Nwaobakata is also a principal suspect in the murder of Collins Ugorji (32) and Newman Ugorji (39), two brothers from Idu Community, who were allegedly killed by OSPAC on May 1, 2024, under the accusation of being kidnappers. Their motorcycles were seized, and their bodies were taken to the OSPAC secretariat in Omoku.
