Police deny N10m levy imposed by cultists in Rivers community

• As stakeholder hints DPO’s killer’s hiding place

The Rivers State Police Command said it was unaware of any levy imposed in any community in the Ahoada West Local Government Area of the state, by suspected cultists.

The Spokesperson of the state command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said this on Sunday, after a stakeholder in Ahoada West raised the alarm that suspected cultists were demanding N10 million security levy in some communities in the area.

Iringe-Koko, however, called on stakeholders in the affected communities to make a formal complaint to the police about the incident.

She said, “For now the Command is not aware of any levy on any community in Ahoada or any other community in Rivers State. If there is such a situation we expect the people or stakeholders in the area to make an official report in the Ahoada Division.

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“They can even come to the command headquarters to come and report the situation because if they don’t report how will the police know what they claim is happening?

She, however, assured that the command is working round the clock to rid communities in Rivers of criminal elements and ensure that suspected criminals are apprehended.

The stakeholder, while speaking to newsmen anonymously in Port Harcourt for fear of being traced, alleged that some communities in the local government area were already contributing N100,000 per household to make up the N10 million levy which they term ‘survival money.

He said the cult gangs in Ahoada West LGA sent messages to various communities to pay the said sum or be ready for their actions on the day the Divisional Police Officer of Ahoada, SP Bako Angbashim was killed.

According to him, “The very day that they killed the DPO, the gangs in Ahoada West started sending messages to various communities to pay |N10 Million before the end of the month, or else they will come and raze down the entire community.

“They (communities) are now paying N100,000 for survival, and it is not good. There is even a report that the 2 Baba (Gift David) that they are chasing has left Ahoada East and is now in Ahoada West.

“Palliatives that were brought to us, they moved it and sent to these boys in their various hideouts. When we say we want to fight insecurity the government should be sincere about it.”

He also called on the state government and security agencies to take the fight against insecurity to Ahoada West, where he said the prime suspect may be hiding.

“The State Government, Nigeria Police and other relevant security agencies should come to Ahoada West and comb the area. 2 Baba is in Ahoada West. So they should stop looking far when the boy is close.

“He is in Ahoada West, he is no longer in Ahoada East. They should focus their searchlight on Ahoada West and help us. There was a time when the late Bako Angbashim came to Ahoada West and raided some communities, he arrested some of these boys. Immediately they sent messages across to him that Ahoada West was not his jurisdiction; that he should not come there.”