Rivers Police Neutralizes Cult Leader ‘General’ In Crossfire With Members
By Raymond EKPE, South-South
CP Olatunji Disu
Operatives attached to the Rivers State Police Command, Port Harcourt has killed the leader of Greenlander cult group, Silas Oderereke, in Oderereke, Ahoada-West Local Government Area in a gun duel. The cultist whose notoriety has defied definition had been on the wanted list of the police for sometime now. On the day he met his Waterloo, Silas was reported to have opened fire moments he sighted the police and the police responded accordingly; leading to his death.
Popularly known as General, Oderereke 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, unauthorized 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 enterprises.
“On January 11, 2024, the police received information about Oderereke’s gang’s robbery operation, which also involved vandalizing 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.
“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 neutralized 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.
“Upon searching the gang’s hideout, the police discovered a G3 Rifle and nineteen 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 neighboring communities. The affected communities expressed their relief and shared accounts of residents who had relocated to Port Harcourt due to the mayhem caused by the cult group.
“This camp served as a base for the cult leader and his numerous followers, from where they launched robbery attacks on innocent members of neighboring communities. The affected communities expressed their relief and shared accounts of residents who had relocated to Port Harcourt due to the mayhem caused by the cult group.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, congratulated the officers for their exceptional work. He 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 and assured the residents of Rivers State that the Police Command, under his leadership, remains fully committed to maintaining peace and bolstering security in the state,” SP Grace Iringe-Koko said.
