By Polycarp Nwaeke
Fear has gripped the people of Etche Local Government Area following the killing of a civil defence personnel.
The incident has prompted the Etche Local Government Chairman, Boniface Chima Njoku, to direct an immediate halt to all operations of tipper drivers’ parks in the area until further notice.
In a statement, Njoku said the directive follows the death of an officer of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) who was on surveillance duty with the Federal Ministry of Mines, Port Harcourt.
He stated that all officials and unions of tipper drivers’ parks in Etche Local Government Area are advised to report to the Okehi Police Station to explain their alleged roles in the incident, as well as to clarify why they decided to block the Chokocho-Igwuruta Federal Highway.
Njoku warned that those who fail to report to the police division would face the full weight of the law.
It would be recalled that the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development had earlier placed a ban on sand dredging and mining activities along Chokocho-Umuechem Road, the Igbo Road, Okowagu, Umuechem, Umumanyagu, and Egi areas due to the negative environmental effects on the roads and the communities.
Meanwhile, security agencies in Rivers State say they are making progress in tackling criminal activities.
This comes as the Rivers State Police Command announces it has arrested four suspected kidnappers who were terrorizing Ikwerre and Etche Local Government Areas of the state.
Their arrest followed an investigation into the February 25, 2026, abduction of a woman who was released after her family paid ₦3 million ransom.
The suspects were apprehended by the Anti-Cultism Unit along the Igbo-Oza Farm Road while planning another kidnapping operation. They admitted to two previous abductions, including that of an engineer and his friend.
The arrested men are Usman Usman Dan-Mama, Abdullahi Kabir, Idris Ismaila, and Mohammed Dalandigi. Police are still searching for other members of the gang.
