Rivers Police Dismiss Officers Over UNIPORT Graduate’s Death, Arrest Five ‘One-Chance’ Suspects

The Rivers State Police Command has dismissed police personnel linked to the fatal shooting of University of Port Harcourt graduate, Anthony Obodo. The command also announced the arrest of five suspected members of a one-chance robbery syndicate operating in Port Harcourt and its environs.

Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, disclosed both developments during a press briefing at the command headquarters in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

Obodo, a 22-year-old fresh UNIPORT graduate, was shot during a police pursuit at the Ada George-Agip Junction in Port Harcourt on August 27, 2026. The incident later triggered protests and widespread demands for justice.

Police Dismiss Officers Over Fatal Shooting

Adepoju said the officers involved were subjected to disciplinary proceedings after a comprehensive investigation into the incident. He said the investigation established the culpability of the officers involved in Obodo’s death.

The commissioner said “the command would not shield any personnel found to have acted outside the law”, stressing that professionalism, accountability, respect for human rights, and the protection of lives and property remained priorities of the command.

According to the police, the incident began when a patrol team attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Obodo.

Adepoju said the driver allegedly failed to stop, prompting the patrol team to pursue the vehicle. During the pursuit, Corporal Alfred Louis, who was attached to the patrol team, allegedly opened fire at the vehicle. A bullet reportedly struck Obodo, who sustained a gunshot injury during the incident.

He was subsequently rushed to Palmer’s Hospital in Port Harcourt, where doctors confirmed his death.

The police said the officers involved were arrested and detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department for investigation. Meanwhile, Inspector Solomon Nworgu, who allegedly absconded after the incident, has been declared a deserter and remains the subject of a police manhunt.

The command has also indicated that the dismissed personnel will face criminal prosecution over the incident. Adepoju said the disciplinary action was intended to demonstrate that police officers would be held accountable when they act outside the law.

Protests Follow Obodo’s Death

The killing sparked protests around the Ada George area, with youths and other residents demanding justice for the deceased. Family members and protesters accused the police of using excessive force and called for the officers involved to be prosecuted.

The protests reportedly affected traffic around Agip Junction and parts of the East-West Road as demonstrators called for accountability. Obodo’s family has also rejected suggestions that the deceased was involved in wrongdoing before his death.

His father, Princewill Obodo, separately alleged that the officers involved had been deployed for security duties before the incident. However, that claim remains an allegation by the family and has not been independently established.

With the disciplinary action now announced, attention is expected to shift to the promised prosecution of the officers found culpable.

Five Suspected ‘One-Chance’ Robbers Arrested

Meanwhile, the commissioner announced the arrest of five suspected members of a one-chance robbery syndicate operating across Port Harcourt.

The suspects were identified as Nelson Idakiniseleg, 30, also known as Mandela; Michael Matthew, 29, aka Pilot; Kelly Edison, 30, aka BTC; Daniel Obodo, 18, aka Mazi; and Chisom Unegbu, 28, aka Favour.

Adepoju said the arrests followed sustained intelligence-led operations by the command’s Violent Crime Response Unit.

The operations were launched in response to reports of one-chance robberies across the Port Harcourt metropolis.

According to the police, the suspects were linked to robbery activities around Aba Road, East-West Road, Choba, NTA Road, Garrison, Rumuola, Air Force and Rumuokwurusi. The command said it recovered a black-and-white mini-bus and 16 mobile phones suspected to have been stolen from victims.

Police also alleged that one of the suspects specialised in removing SIM cards from victims and using them to facilitate unauthorised withdrawals from their bank accounts.

Adepoju said investigations were still ongoing to identify other members of the syndicates and locate additional victims. He also urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the police.

CP Reaffirms Commitment to Accountability

The commissioner assured residents that the command would continue to pursue violent criminals across the state. At the same time, he maintained that police personnel who violate the law would not be protected. The command’s position comes amid growing public scrutiny of police conduct following Obodo’s death.

Adepoju said the Rivers State Police Command would continue to uphold professionalism, accountability and respect for human rights. He also urged residents to avoid taking the law into their own hands and instead report suspected criminal activities through appropriate channels.

The latest developments have therefore placed two issues at the centre of the command’s activities: accountability over Obodo’s death and the ongoing crackdown on criminal syndicates in Port Harcourt.