RIVERS STATE POLICE COMMAND CONFIRMS ARREST OF SUSPECTED KIDNAPPER GODWIN IBERI

The Rivers State Police Command has recorded a major breakthrough in the investigation of the abduction and killing of a young woman in Emohua Local Government Area with the arrest of a key suspect linked to the crime.

Police confirmed that a 26-year-old man, Goodnews Iberi, a native of Rumuakunde Community, was taken into custody for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and murder of 25-year-old Rita Special Eleonu from Rundele Community. The arrest followed a distress report filed on December 29, 2025, by the victim’s brother after she was declared missing.

According to the police, investigations revealed that Eleonu was allegedly lured on December 13, 2025, to the Rumuakunde axis by Iberi and four other suspects who are currently on the run. She was reportedly abducted and later moved to a secluded forest along the East–West Road in Emohua, where the crime was carried out.

In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Grace Iringe-Koko, the command disclosed that the suspects collected a ransom of ₦210,000 from the victim’s family but still went ahead to kill her, a development the police described as “deeply disturbing and criminally inhuman.”

Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Anti-Cultism Unit at the Emohua Division tracked and arrested Iberi on January 8, 2026, at his hideout. During preliminary interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to the crime and provided details implicating four other accomplices.

Police further revealed that Iberi led officers to the forest where the victim’s decomposing body was recovered. The remains have since been deposited at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital morgue for autopsy.

The Rivers State Police Command said the suspect remains in custody as investigations continue, adding that a manhunt has been launched to apprehend other members of the syndicate. The command reassured residents of its commitment to ensuring justice for the victim and maintaining security across the state.