The Rivers State Police Command said its agents had neutralised Nkem ThankGod, a renowned cult leader who allegedly killed four police officers and a couple, among other crimes.
According to police, the 42-year-old murder suspect dubbed 2man, who lived in Ogbologbolo Community, Ahoada West Local Government Area of the state, was also linked to the death of a youth leader.
Mustapha Mohammed, the Commissioner of Police, said this during a news briefing on Thursday, when he presented the miscreant’s lifeless body at the command’s offices on Moscow Road in Port Harcourt.
While noting that his crimes included murder, kidnapping, and attacks on oil pipelines and government facilities, Mohammed said the criminal met his demise on Thursday afternoon during an intelligence-led operation while attempting to abduct a target with his gang in the state’s Ahoada East Local Government Area.
The CP revealed that the hoodlum had been on the police’s wanted list since 2021 for a variety of crimes, including the murder of a man and his wife, and that he had been fleeing from one location to another to avoid arrest.
He stated, “Men of the Rivers State Police Command have successfully neutralised a notorious kidnap kingpin and murder suspect, Nkem Thank God, a.k.a. “2man,” aged 42, from Ogbologbolo Community, Ahoada West Local Government Area.
“This individual, a leader of the Greenlander Cult Group, had been responsible for a series of heinous crimes in Ahoada East and Ahoada West LGAs, including killing the youth president of Okogbe Community in Ahoada West LGA, Mr. Christmas Ede, on December 21, 2021.
“He is also responsible for multiple killings in 2024, including two policemen attached to the PMF 48, three civilians (Mr. and Mrs. Rex Kiriki and Mrs. Abigail Victor), and a spare parts dealer after collecting ransom.
“He also murdered two Shell staff members in Okogbe, Ahoada West LGA, and stole their Toyota Hilux.”
Speaking on the attacks on the police personnel, the state police boss said, “Two men shot SP Bello during a rescue operation in 2022 and killed two Rapid Response Team officers in early 2023.
“Kidnapping and carjacking a red Toyota Camry from Dare Shola in October 2024. Orchestrating several kidnappings and extorting ransoms before killing victims.
“He was involved in frequent vandalisation of oil pipelines and government installations in Ahoada West.
“Nkem ThankGod met his end during an intelligence-led operation while attempting another kidnapping. His gang members managed to escape with injuries, and efforts are underway to apprehend them,” the CP disclosed.
He stated that the items collected from him were two AK-47 weapons, five magazines, and 22 rounds of live ammo.
The CP underlined the command’s commitment to protecting the lives and property of state inhabitants, claiming that the police under his supervision will turn the state into a living hell for criminals.
Mohammed, on the other hand, asked the people to provide beneficial information about suspicious activity in their neighbourhood so that the police could respond quickly, stating that the police would continue to fight to dismantle criminal networks.
