Two men have been arrested by the Rivers State Police Command for allegedly luring a motorcycle rider from Jigawa State into a forest, stabbing him to death and stealing his motorcycle.
The suspects, identified as Abubakar Sani, 24, and Yusuf Magaji, 20, were arrested after police operatives reportedly found them dismantling a motorcycle suspected to have been stolen at Choba Motor Park in Rivers State.
The victim, identified as Sani Musa, was a motorcycle rider from Zago Town, Kafin Hausa Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
According to the police, the suspects allegedly lured Musa into a forest in Mbiama Town, Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, where they stabbed him to death before concealing his remains in the bush.
The suspects allegedly took his motorcycle after the killing and planned to transport it to Kano State through a waybill to avoid detection.
The Rivers State Police Command disclosed their arrest in a statement issued by its spokesperson, ASP Agabe Blessing Kaborlo.
The statement said the suspects were arrested on October 22, 2026, at about 1pm, following intelligence received by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit attached to Emohua.
Police operatives reportedly stormed Choba Motor Park after receiving information that suspected cultists were dismantling a motorcycle believed to have been stolen.
Following their arrest, preliminary investigations allegedly linked the suspects to Musa’s murder.
The police said the suspects subsequently confessed to the crime and led investigators to the forest where they had allegedly hidden the victim’s remains.
The remains were recovered and the victim’s family contacted.
The command said arrangements were made to release the remains to the family for burial in accordance with Islamic rites and customs, as requested by the relatives.
The Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Olugbenga Adepoju, has ordered an intensified investigation to establish the full circumstances surrounding the killing, identify possible accomplices and ensure that everyone involved is prosecuted.
The police also reiterated their commitment to tackling cultism, murder and other violent crimes across the state, and urged residents to provide credible information that could help prevent criminal activities.
