Police arrest two over alleged hotel hook-up robbery ring
Residents of Igwuruta community in Ikwerre Local Council of Rivers State have staged a protest over the killing of a youth leader, demanding an immediate ban on commercial motorcycle operators (okada) in the area.

The protest followed the death of Nchelem Samuel Festus, Secretary of Omuolu-Omunwei Community, who was reportedly killed on February 10, 2026.

Youths, carrying placards and marching through the community under the umbrella of Igwuruta Community Youth, expressed outrage over what they described as one too many security incidents confronting the area.

In a communiqué read by Emmanuel Chimenem Gilead, the protesters condemned the killing and called for urgent measures to address rising criminal activities.

They alleged that the deceased was killed by commercial motorcycle riders operating within the community. The group also linked the incident to broader concerns over alleged cases of rape, kidnapping and other violent crimes.

The protesters urged security agencies to swiftly investigate the killing and bring those responsible to justice. They further called for the closure of scrap dumpsites allegedly operated by the same individuals, insisting that such locations had become flashpoints for criminal activities.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command has arrested two suspected members of an armed robbery syndicate accused of targeting and luring young women through hook-up arrangements to hotel rooms in Port Harcourt.

The suspects, identified as 27-year-old Albert Koko-ete Hanson, a married man, and 18-year-old Wisdom Okon, both from Abak Local Council of Akwa Ibom State, were apprehended following a rescue operation involving hotel security personnel.

One of the victims, who identified herself simply as Faith, told journalists that she was contacted by a hotel staff member who informed her that a guest required her services. On arrival, she was taken to a two-bedroom apartment where the suspects were lodged.

According to her, the suspects showed her a photograph of another woman, claiming she knew the person and accusing the woman of collecting N5 million from them. She said they demanded that she pay the money.

Faith alleged that the suspects seized her mobile phone and forced her to disclose her password in an attempt to access her bank account, but there was no money in it at the time.

She further stated that another female victim had already been tied up and blindfolded inside a toilet before her arrival. The suspects allegedly brought the victim out, stripped both women, assaulted them and tied them up again while threatening to harvest their organs.

According to her, a third female victim, later brought into the apartment, managed to send a distress message to friends within the same hotel while the suspects were attempting to force her to reveal her bank application password. The friends alerted hotel security personnel, who intervened and rescued the three victims.

The prime suspect, Hanson, reportedly confessed to the crime.

Confirming the arrest, the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, CSP Grace Iringe-Koko, said the suspects specialised in targeting young women they perceived to be affluent.

She disclosed that they often singled out “classic” girls carrying high-end mobile phones, such as iPhone 15 and above, believing they could extort substantial sums from them or their relatives.

Iringe-Koko added that the prime suspect had allegedly made over N18 million in six years from the illicit operation.