The Rivers State police command has arrested a five-man gang of car snatchers and burglars led by one Chukwumela Imela aka Boy Satan.

The notorious gang was said to be responsible for car snatching and burglary in the Ada-George, Iwofe, and Ogbogoro areas of Port Harcourt.

They reportedly operated in other locations such as Egbelu, Diobu, D-line, GRA II, and Borikiri.

The state Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu, who paraded members of the gang, said they were responsible for snatching at gunpoint over 10 cars in the past three months

Disu said the gang was known for terrorising Rivers State residents seeking to enjoy the comforts and thrills of nightlife in the GRA II axis of Port Harcourt.

He described Boy Satan their leader as a recidivist, who had been to prison on four occasions for various crimes, ranging from cultism to raping and armed robbery.

?Together with his childhood friend and companion, Precious Adiele, he joined the Iceland cult group in 2009. He is famed for being merciless in killing both rivals and allies, thus earning him the moniker ?Boy Satan??, Disu.

Reeling out his criminal profiles, Disu said: ?In 2022, Boy Satan disagreed with the Iceland cult group over loot sharing from a robbery and angrily moved to join a rival group, ?La Mendians Bobos?.

?To celebrate his defection, he decided to make a bold statement by accosting his friend, Precious Adiele, and macheting him to death in his residence. After killing his friend, he boasted that he was not afraid to hurt even his family to prove a point.

?In 2012, he attacked a businessman named George, who was on his way to attend a church vigil and demanded his phone. The man handed his phone to him and on seeing the phone he got enraged that it was not an Android phone and proceeded to give machete cuts to him.

?George was rescued by a member of the local vigilante in Diobu, one Aniefiok David who fought him off and took the injured victim for treatment. This act of the vigilante offended Boy Satan, and he earmarked Aniefiok David for death.

?He began trailing the 39-year-old vigilante who worked as a sachet water distributor. On a particular night, a few weeks after the incident with George, at Ojoto Round-about in Diobu, he waylaid Aniefiok and shot him in the chest with a locally-made pistol.

?Aniefiok swung his machete as he took the shot and hacked off Boy Satan?s left hand at the wrist. They were both taken to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (formerly Braithwaite Memorial Hospital) where Boy Satan was arrested by the Police and charged to court. That marked his first imprisonment,? he added.

Disu, however, said on returning from prison, Boy Satan continued his criminal activities, which led him to be incarcerated three more times before he was eventually killed by the Rivers State Police Command.

He said: ?His gang came under the full glare of the Rivers State Police Command after they robbed one Mr Timothy Musa, 42, of his Toyota Camry on the night of April 17, 2024, and used the same car to loot shops and houses around the Agip-Ada-George areas of Port Harcourt before selling the vehicle to one of their receivers-an Alhaji still at large.

?On another night, on the 5th of June 2024, the gang struck again, snatching another Toyota Camry and diverting the car and its owner to a location in Timber, Diobu.

?There, the car owner was robbed of his personal belongings, shot, and left for dead whilst they whisked the car away. The victim was taken to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital where he eventually succumbed to his injuries.

?The police, who had been on the heels of the criminal gang got credible intelligence that they were about to carry out another operation at Diobu using a Keke-bus (minivan) on the 8th of June 2024.

?Men of the Octopus strike force of the Command immediately mobilised to the area and aided by the Diobu vigilante, came upon the criminals at Okonkwo Street in Diobu.

?On sighting the Police, the gang began shooting at the Police. Boy Satan and other gang members fled the scene after being overpowered by the superior firepower of the police however, the gang?s driver, Junior Moses Eyimode, was arrested, and the minivan was recovered by the Police.

?The police gave hot pursuit to the fleeing gang members and caught up with them in one of their numerous hideouts in New Road, Borikiri where they fired more shots at the police in a bid to escape.

?In the gun battle, the notorious ?Boy Satan? and another member of his gang were neutralised and one Beretta pistol and two locally made revolvers were recovered.

?The police have so far recovered two more cars from the gang as investigations continue in a bid to mop up other stolen vehicles and round up fleeing gang members,? he added. (The Nation)

Update news