25/01/2025
We held him captive and killed him after we failed to secure the ransom, says isee on friday
According to Punch, The Rivers State Police Command has arrested five suspected cultists in connection with the murder of 34-year-old Rowland Horsfall, who was killed after being accused of generating a fake alert for hard drugs he purchased from them in Port Harcourt. The suspects, members of the Iceland cult group, also extorted ransom from Horsfall's mother, even after his death.
Grace Iringe-Koko, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, confirmed the arrests and provided details in a statement on Tuesday. She revealed that the suspects had initially demanded a ransom of N2.5 million from Horsfall’s mother. Unknowingly, she transferred N300,000 to her son’s account, believing it was a legitimate request for his release. However, she later discovered her son had already been killed.
The situation began on September 10, 2024, when Horsfall left his home in Peace Valley Estate, Woji, to attend meetings in Port Harcourt. Later that evening, he contacted his mother to inform her he was heading home. The next morning, however, Horsfall called his mother again, claiming he was being held hostage and demanded N300,000 to get his phone back. The ransom demand quickly escalated to N2.5 million, accompanied by threatening images and voice notes sent to his girlfriend, warning of his imminent death if the ransom was not paid.
Iringe-Koko shared the chilling details, stating, "They sent threatening pictures and voice notes to the victim’s girlfriend, warning that Horsfall would be killed if the ransom wasn’t paid promptly."
Despite paying the initial N300,000, Horsfall remained in captivity, and the suspects ultimately beat him to death. His body was dumped along Queens/Kings Bakery, Abuloma Road, Port Harcourt.
Following the mother's complaint, police launched an investigation and arrested the prime suspect, Endurance Friday Thompson, in Woji Town on November 3, 2024. During questioning, Thompson confessed to the crime and revealed that he and his accomplices had held Horsfall hostage, killed him after failing to secure the full ransom, and disposed of his body.
Thompson stated, "We held him captive and killed him after we failed to secure the ransom. We then dumped his body."
The other arrested suspects include Boma Otonye (41), also known as Excess Chief, David Link Ishaku (34), known as Biggy, Moses Nsikak Benjamin (29), also called Aboy, and Emmanuel Aniete (32). All five suspects have confessed to their involvement in the crime, and efforts are underway to capture other members of the gang who are still on the run.
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