The Rivers State Police Command has reported the killing of a wanted cult leader, Silas Oderere, and his accomplice during a shootout in Oderereke community, Ahoada West Local Government Area of the state. Oderere, also known as ‘General,’ was identified as the leader of the Greenlanders’ cult group in the Ubie clan in Ahoada West and had been evading the authorities for the past four years.
According to the spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, the notorious cult leader and his gang were involved in various criminal activities, including armed robbery, land grabbing, unauthorized sale of buildings, and violent attacks on those opposing them.
The incident leading to Oderereke’s demise occurred on January 11, 2024, when the police received information about the gang’s robbery operation, which included vandalizing the property of the late monarch, Eze Robinson O. Robinson. Responding swiftly, the police pursued the criminals out of town. However, Oderereke and his gang retaliated by launching an attack on a community-owned tank farm in Oderereke, intending to loot its contents. In the ensuing confrontation, the police managed to apprehend the gang.
During the confrontation, Silas Oderereke and one other member of his gang engaged in a firefight with the police, resulting in their neutralization, while others sustained injuries. Two other clan leaders, Danger-boy and 2-Man, who collaborated with Oderereke, escaped and are currently at large. A subsequent search of the gang’s hideout uncovered a G3 Rifle and 19 7.62x51mm ammunition.
Further investigations revealed a camp established by Oderereke between Oderereke and Olokuma communities, serving as a base for the cult leader and his numerous followers. This camp was used as a launchpad for robbery attacks on neighboring communities, causing residents to relocate to Port Harcourt to escape the cult group’s mayhem.
The Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, commended the operatives for their discreet investigation and for neutralizing the hoodlums. CP Disu warned cultists and criminal gangs to reform or face the consequences, emphasizing that the police, under his leadership, would make the state inhospitable for them until they were apprehended.
