Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
The Rivers State Police Command has rejected claims linking the Commander of the 56 Police Mobile Force, ACP London Irikefe, to the arrest and prosecution of four men accused in connection with the alleged abduction and unlawful detention of a woman in the state.
The Command said Irikefe neither participated in the operation that led to the arrests nor directed the prosecution of the suspects, insisting that the police action was triggered by a formal complaint of an alleged abduction and findings made by officers deployed to investigate the report.
The clarification followed reports circulating online that sought to associate the senior police officer with the arrest of Darlington Ogulo, Eze Woke Solomon, Wali Perfect and Augustine Charles. The Rivers Police Command described the reports as misleading and said the four men were arrested as part of an operation aimed at locating and rescuing an alleged abduction victim.
According to a statement issued by the Command's Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Agabe Blessing Kaborlo, the case began on August 17, 2026, when Gift Benjamin Odogbo of Rumualuu Community reported that her mother, Kate Odogbo, had allegedly been abducted by unknown gunmen five days earlier.
Police said the alleged abduction occurred on August 12. After reportedly spending four days searching for her mother, Gift allegedly discovered that Kate was being held at a detention facility said to be operated by a man identified as Gabriel Asa Abuja.
According to the police account, the suspects allegedly described Abuja as their leader and claimed that he belonged to an organisation referred to as the Nigeria Forest Guard.
Following receipt of the complaint, the Rivers State Police Command said it immediately deployed operatives of its Violent Crime Response Unit, known as VCRU-AKU, to the location where the alleged victim was reportedly being held.
Police said the officers found Kate inside a cell at the facility and successfully rescued her.
The operation also resulted in the arrest of four men identified by the Command as Darlington Ogulo, 47; Eze Woke Solomon, 25; Wali Perfect, 24; and Augustine Charles, 25.
The Command said officers recovered a pump-action firearm and a locally fabricated long gun during the operation. Police also reported that the main access road leading to the facility had been blocked with sandbags.
The discovery of the alleged detention facility has become a central part of the police investigation. According to the Command, preliminary findings raised allegations involving illegal possession of firearms, intimidation of members of the public, unlawful detention and the establishment of a security outfit without the required licence or authorisation.
Police said the suspects were unable to provide the documentation necessary to establish their claimed affiliation with the organisation they reportedly identified as the Nigeria Forest Guard.
The Command stressed that private security organisations and individuals do not have authority to establish detention facilities or operate them in a manner that assumes or purports to exercise powers reserved for the police.
The police also raised concerns over the alleged use of police colours, markings, insignia and other police-identifying features on buildings or structures. The Command said such features could mislead members of the public into believing that a private facility is an authorised police establishment.
The four suspects were subsequently charged to court on August 21, according to the police statement.
The Command's clarification is particularly significant because the original claims reportedly attempted to connect ACP Irikefe, a senior officer responsible for the 56 Police Mobile Force, with the arrest and prosecution of the suspects.
The police have rejected that connection. The Command said the operation was based on the complaint received, the circumstances and evidence allegedly discovered at the location, and the immediate need to rescue and protect the alleged victim.
The police did not, however, provide in the statement publicly available details of the alleged victim's current condition, nor did it disclose the specific court charges filed against each of the four suspects beyond describing the preliminary allegations that emerged from the investigation.
The Command's account also did not publicly establish the whereabouts of Gabriel Asa Abuja, who police said was described by the suspects as their leader and as belonging to the Nigeria Forest Guard.
That distinction is important because the police statement identifies Abuja as an alleged owner or operator of the facility, while the four arrested men are the individuals specifically named as suspects in the operation. No conclusion of criminal responsibility has been established against any person merely by being named in the police account.
The police have also not publicly established whether the alleged organisation known as the Nigeria Forest Guard has any lawful connection to a recognised government security agency. Instead, the Command said the suspects were unable to produce the required documentation for their claimed outfit.
The incident has raised broader questions about the operation of private or non-state security groups and the extent to which individuals or organisations may exercise powers resembling those of law-enforcement agencies.
The police position is that no private security outfit or individual can lawfully establish or operate a detention centre in a way that assumes police powers. The Command's warning is particularly significant because detention of members of the public is ordinarily a matter governed by law and subject to specific legal safeguards.
The alleged use of police-identifying features on a private facility has also attracted attention. The Command warned that structures should not be presented in a manner capable of deceiving members of the public into believing that they are official police facilities.
Meanwhile, the Rivers Police Command has warned against the spread of what it described as false, misleading or defamatory information concerning the case.
The warning was directed at members of the public, bloggers, social media influencers and content creators. Police said the publication or circulation of unverified claims could cause public mischief, damage reputations or undermine ongoing investigations.
The Command advised members of the public to verify sensitive information through credible and official sources before publishing or sharing it online.
The police also referred to possible offences under Nigeria's Cybercrimes legislation, although any determination of whether a particular publication constitutes an offence would depend on the facts and applicable law.
The Command maintained that its handling of the case was consistent with its stated commitment to professional policing, protection of lives and property, respect for human rights, transparency, accountability and impartial enforcement of the law.
The controversy surrounding ACP Irikefe therefore remains separate from the criminal allegations against the four arrested men. As of the latest police clarification, the Command's position is unequivocal: Irikefe was not involved in the arrest or prosecution.
The four suspects, meanwhile, have been taken before a court, meaning the allegations against them are now subject to judicial proceedings. They remain entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence unless their guilt is established by a competent court.
The police investigation into the wider circumstances surrounding the alleged detention facility and the alleged abduction is expected to determine whether additional individuals were involved, the legal status of the organisation allegedly operating at the location, the origin and ownership of the recovered firearms, and the circumstances under which the alleged victim came to be held at the facility.
For now, the Rivers State Police Command says the operation was initiated by an abduction complaint, resulted in the reported rescue of Kate Odogbo, led to the arrest of four suspects and produced the recovery of two firearms.
The Command's latest statement also seeks to draw a clear line between that operation and ACP London Irikefe, insisting that the 56 PMF commander should not be linked to the arrest or prosecution of the suspects without evidence supporting such a connection.
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