Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Port Harcourt, Rivers State — The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a suspect in connection with the kidnapping and murder of 25‑year‑old Rita Special Eleonu, a young woman abducted in Emohua Local Government Area in December 2025, police and residents report.
According to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Police Grace Iringe‑Koko, Eleonu — a native of Rumuekini Community in Obio/Akpor LGA — was lured by her assailants on 13 December 2025 to the Rumuakunde axis of Emohua. The gang then abducted her and contacted her family, demanding a ransom for her release.
In a tragic turn of events, the family paid ₦210,000 in ransom in the hope of securing Eleonu’s freedom, but the kidnappers murdered her and buried her in a shallow grave in a forest along the East–West Road in Emohua, the police stated. The crime was later described by investigators as occurring in an “evil forest” — a term often used locally to describe dense forest hideouts used by criminal elements.
Acting on a distress report filed by the victim’s brother on 29 December 2025, operatives from the Anti‑Cultism Unit (ACU) of the Rivers State Police Command embarked on an intelligence‑led operation that culminated in the arrest of 26‑year‑old Goodnews Iberi on 8 January 2026 at his hideout. During interrogation, the suspect confessed to his role in the kidnapping and murder and implicated four accomplices who remain at large.
Iberi subsequently guided police to the location where Eleonu’s decomposing remains were recovered and taken to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) morgue for autopsy and further forensic examination.
The police have pledged to intensify investigations to apprehend the remaining members of the criminal gang, while reminding residents to remain vigilant and provide credible information that could aid the arrest of fleeing suspects. Authorities emphasise that combating kidnapping and related violent crimes remains a priority across Rivers State.
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