Five people have been arrested by the Rivers State Police Command in connection with the murder of Rowland Horsefall, 34, who went missing on September 10. Endurance Thompson, 23, Moses Benjamin, 29, Emmanuel Aniete, 32, David Ishaku, 34, and Boma Otonye, 41, are the suspects. Following a rigorous manhunt, the suspects were captured, according to SP Grace Iringe-Koko, the command’s spokesperson, who gave her statement on the matter in Port Harcourt on Tuesday 21 January 2025.

On September 10 2024 Horsefall departed his home at around 3:30 p.m. to attend meetings in the Government Reserved Area and Dr. Peter Odili Road in Port Harcourt, according to Iringe-Koko. When he didn’t come home later that night, she alleged, Iyenemi tried to get in touch with him. At around 9 p.m., Horsefall took his mother’s phone and assured her that he was in route home. “However, Iyenemi tried calling again after a long wait, but all attempts to reach him were unsuccessful,” Iringe-Koko stated.

According to the police spokeswoman, Horsefall called Iyenemi at 5:05 a.m. on September 11 to let her know that he had been kidnapped. She said that Iyenemi provided ₦300,000 as part of the ransom when the kidnappers eventually requested ₦2.5 million to free him. “Following that, Horsefall’s girlfriend received voicemails and images from the kidnappers threatening to murder him unless she gave an extra ₦300,000 to his bank account, which she did immediately  to the kidnappers.

“But Horsefall wasn’t released,” she said. Iringe-Koko stated that once the incident was reported, the police began an investigation, which resulted in the arrest of one of the suspects, Thompson. Thompson admitted under questioning that he had abducted Horsefall from the Trans Amadi Industrial Area behind the Port Harcourt Zoo.

“He disclosed that the gang beat the victim to death and disposed of his body along Queens/Kings Bakery at Abuloma Road after collecting ransom payments,” Iringe-Koko stated. The police leadership stated that although attempts are being made to capture other gang members who are still at large, the accused will face charges in court.