Police arrest three suspects over killing of two officers in Rivers, recover stolen rifles

The Rivers State Police Command has arrested three suspected members of a criminal gang allegedly involved in the killing of two police officers and recovered firearms believed to have been stolen during the attack.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Grace Iringe-Koko Agabe, described the arrests as a significant breakthrough in the investigation, saying they followed a directive by the Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adewole Adepoju, to identify and apprehend those responsible for the killings.

According to the police spokesperson, the incident occurred on June 29, 2026, when the officers were attacked while carrying out a stop-and-search operation under the Aluu Police Division. She said the assailants killed the two officers and fled with their service AK-47 rifles.

Following the attack, the Commissioner of Police ordered the immediate deployment of the Command’s operational and intelligence teams to track down the perpetrators and recover the stolen weapons.

Agabe said operatives of the Command’s Violence Crime Response Unit (VCRU), acting on credible intelligence and sustained tactical operations, arrested three suspected members of the gang.

The suspects were identified as Maduabuchi Emeka, also known as “Doctor,” aged 34; Chinedu Owhor, 42; and Kamachi Joe, 28, all natives of the Omoku area of Rivers State.

According to the Command, security operatives recovered three AK-47 rifles and one Scorpion rifle during the operation.

The police also disclosed that one of the arrested suspects had provided useful information linking the gang to other murder cases currently under investigation.

The Command said efforts were ongoing to apprehend another suspect who remains on the run.

Agabe noted that the arrests demonstrate the commitment of the Rivers State Police Command to bringing those responsible for attacks on security personnel and other violent crimes to justice.

She added that investigations into the case are still ongoing.