Police in Rivers State has apprehended a notorious armed robber and cult leader, Silas Oderereke, in Oderereke community, Ahoada-West Local Government Area. The suspect also known as General, had been on the run for the past four years.
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 famous 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 of Ekpeye land in Ahoada Eze Robinson Robinson.
Responding swiftly, the police chased the criminals out of town, while 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 the sabotage attempt that the police apprehended the gang.
The suspect 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 cult 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.
The 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.
Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu, 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
