The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a 26-year-old man, Goodnews Iberi, in connection with the kidnapping and killing of a 25-year-old woman, Rita Eleonu, along the Emuoha axis of the East-West Road.
Police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko disclosed in a statement on Monday that the suspect, working with four accomplices who remain at large, allegedly lured the victim before abducting her and taking her to a forested area.
According to the police, the suspects contacted the victim’s family after the abduction and collected a ransom of ₦210,000. Despite the payment, the woman was later killed and buried in a shallow grave, reportedly for suspected ritual purposes.
Iringe-Koko said both the suspect and the victim are natives of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. The case came to light after a distress report was filed by the victim’s brother on December 29, 2025.
Operatives attached to the Anti-Cultism Unit in Emuoha arrested Iberi at his hideout in the early hours of January 8, 2026, following intelligence-led investigations, the police said.
During interrogation, the suspect allegedly confessed to the crime and led officers to the forest where the victim’s decomposing remains were exhumed. The body has since been deposited at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital morgue for autopsy.
Police said the suspect is currently in custody while efforts are ongoing to track down the remaining members of the syndicate.
The Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Olugbenga Adepoju, commended the operatives for their swift response and urged residents to continue providing credible information to support crime-fighting efforts, assuring that informants’ identities would be protected.
