Rivers State Police Command has arrested a notorious Iceland cult leader, Amanyie Barikui, a.k.a ‘Lawyer’ in Eleme Area in Port Harcourt, who was allegedly involved in the murder of one Mr Lioneda Lebari in 2021.
The police spokeswoman, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, who confirmed the arrested of the 35-year-old suspect, said that it was in response to a directive given by the Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, to tactical units and Divisions to intensify efforts to apprehend all wanted criminals on the watch list of the police command.
•Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Tunji Disu
Barikui, who hails from Kaanii in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, was said to have been terrorising Eleme Area and had been on the watchlist list of the Police since December 31, 2021, when he and five other members of his gang allegedly murdered Mr Lebari.
The PPRO disclosed that on the day the deceased was killed, he was tracked by the cult gang after withdrawing his annual savings of N150,000 from a local thrift collector.
“He was tracked to the Oil Mill junction, where he was attacked by Barikui and his gang and stabbed multiple times. He was left to die of his wounds while they fled the scene of the crime,” she said.
She said further that before his arrest, the suspect had been switching hideouts regularly to evade being apprehended.
“However, on Friday, December 20, 2023, the Anti Kidnapping Unit of the Rivers State Police Command responded to a tip-off and apprehended the suspect in his Hideout at Eleme.
“Among the items recovered from the suspect were locally-made pistols and items suspected to be charms,” the police spokeswoman stated.
She said that the suspect confessed to the crime and had been docked on a two-count charge of murder and cultism.
Irin fe-Koko added that investigations were ongoing as the police were making moves to apprehend other members of the gang.
In his comment, CP Disu expressed satisfaction with the promptness of the men of the Command in dealing with suspects on the police watchlist.
He further charged them not to relent in the campaign against crime, as the command had begun gaining ground on war against crime and criminality in the state.
The police boss vowed that the Command would ensure that other members of the gang who murdered Mr Lebari would be brought to justice soonest.
He also seized the opportunity to assure law-abiding residents of Rivers State that the police would continue to give their best to make the state peaceful.
