Two cult leaders killed in Rivers as police bust camp

OPERATIVES of the Rivers State police command have killed two leaders of a cult group, Greenlanders, in Oderereke, Ahoada-West Local Government Area.

The police also busted a camp between Oderereke and Olokuma communities, where the deceased cult members and their gang ran a high-level kidnapping, armed robbery and cultism operation.

Leader of the group, Silas Oderereke, popularly known as General, and one other member of the gang, died during a shootout with policemen, while others escaped.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Grace Irinje-Koko, in a statement on Sunday, said:  “In a major breakthrough, the Rivers State police command successfully apprehended a notorious armed robber and cult leader, Silas Oderereke, in Oderereke, Ahoada-West Local Government Area.

“Oderereke, also known as ‘General,’ had been on the run for the past four years, evading arrest However, his reign of terror came to an end when he resisted arrest and opened fire on the police, resulting in his death.

“As the head of the Greenlanders’ cult group in the Ubie clan of Ahoada West, Oderereke and his gang were infamous for their criminal activities, which included armed robbery, land grabbing, unauthorised sales of buildings and brutal attacks on those who dared to oppose them.

“The cult leader would even order the destruction of houses in communities that resisted his criminal enterprise.”

The River State police image-maker also continued that “On January 11, the police received information about Oderereke’s gang’s robbery operation, which also involved vandalising the property of the late monarch, Eze Robinson O. Robinson.

“Responding swiftly, the police chased the criminals out of town.

“However, the defiant ‘General’ rallied his gang and launched an attack on a community-owned tank farm in Oderereke, intending to loot its contents. It was during this sabotage attempt that the police managed to apprehend the gang.”

She continued, “Silas Oderereke and one other member of his gang opened fire on the police team, leading to an exchange of gunfire.

“In the shootout, Oderereke and his accomplice were neutralised, while others sustained injuries.

“Two other clan leaders, Danger-boy and 2-Man, who frequently collaborated with Oderereke, managed to escape and are currently at large.”

The police spokesperson added, “Upon searching the gang’s hideout, the police discovered a G3 rifle and 19 7.62x51mm ammunition.

“Further investigations uncovered a camp Oderereke had established between Oderereke and Olokuma communities.

“This camp served as a base for the cult leader and his numerous followers, from where they launched robbery attacks on innocent members of neighbuoring communities.”

The Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, congratulated the officers for their exceptional work.

He also issued a stern warning to cultists in the state, urging them to abandon their criminal activities and renounce cultism or face the full weight of the law.