The Rivers State Police Command has announced that its operatives neutralised a suspected kidnapper and cultist, identified as Gbarani Bume, in the Luawii Community of Khana Local Government Area.

Bume, also known as Pelele, was a member of the infamous Iceland cult group, which has been terrorising the Beree/Tabaa axis of Khana LGA along with his gang.

Spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Sunday.

Iringe-Koko said that Pelele and his gang attempted to kidnap a site engineer working in Luawii when the police, acting on a tip-off, swooped in. Upon sighting the police, the suspects opened fire, but Pelele was fatally wounded after a fierce exchange of gunfire and later died.

The statement reads: ?The Rivers State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in its efforts to combat crime, neutralising a notorious cultist and kidnapper, Gbarani Bume, a.k.a. Pelele, a native of Bere Community in Khana LGA.

?He was a member of the Iceland Cult Group, which has been terrorising the Beree/Tabaa axis of Khana LGA.

?On the 15thof November 2024, operatives from the Bori Division, acting on a tip-off, were mobilised to Luawii Community where Pelele and his gang were attempting to kidnap a site engineer.

?Upon sighting the operatives, the hoodlums opened fire, resulting in a fierce crossfire, during which Pelele was fatally wounded. His accomplices escaped with various degrees of bullet wounds.

?Items recovered from the suspect include one AK-47 rifle, two magazines, and 10 rounds of live ammunition.?

She added, ?An investigation is ongoing, and efforts are being intensified to apprehend the other fleeing gang members and bring them to justice.?

The state police spokesperson stated that this operation underscores the Command?s commitment to tackling crime and ensuring public safety in the state. (Sunday PUNCH)