The Rivers State Police Command has arrested three suspects allegedly involved in the gruesome murder of a 55-year-old commercial driver, Christopher Akpabio, whose decomposing body was later exhumed from a shallow grave in Asarama Community, Andoni Local Government Area of the state.
The police also recovered the victim’s stolen vehicle following an intelligence-led operation by the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit.
The command’s spokesperson, Blessing Agabe, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
According to the statement, the suspects allegedly hired the victim at Garrison Junction in Port Harcourt under the pretext of conveying them to Asarama Community for a traditional marriage ceremony, unaware that they intended to rob and kill him.
The statement noted that the suspects attacked and murdered the driver en route to the community, buried his body in a shallow grave and made away with his black Daihatsu Hijet minibus with registration number BGM 328 DA.
It read, “In line with the proactive crime-fighting strategies of the Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, and the directives of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, the Rivers State Police Command has recorded a major breakthrough in the investigation of a case involving alleged murder and robbery.
“The incident was reported on May 22, 2026, following the disappearance of one Christopher Emmanuel Akpabio, a 55-year-old native of Akwa Ibom State.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased was hired at Garrison Park, Port Harcourt, by the suspects under the guise of transporting them to Asarama Community in Andoni Local Government Area for a traditional marriage ceremony. Unknown to him, the suspects had plotted to murder him and dispossess him of his vehicle.”
The police said further investigations led operatives to the location where the victim’s remains were buried.
“Further investigation led to the shocking discovery of the victim’s remains in a shallow grave in Asarama Community, Andoni Local Government Area,” the statement added.
The police identified the arrested suspects as David Mark, 30, and Nkajit Williams, 45, both natives of Andoni LGA, and Godgift John, 33, from Okrika LGA.
Agabe said operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, acting on the directives of the Commissioner of Police, launched a painstaking intelligence-driven investigation that culminated in the arrest of the suspects on May 28, 2026.
“During the operation, the stolen black Daihatsu Hijet minibus with registration number BGM 328 DA was recovered. The remains of the deceased have been deposited at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital mortuary for preservation and further examination.
“Investigation is ongoing, while efforts have been intensified to arrest a fourth suspect who is currently at large,” she said.
The command urged members of the public, particularly commercial drivers, to exercise caution when accepting transport requests from unfamiliar persons, especially for long-distance journeys.
It advised drivers to always inform relatives, colleagues or trusted associates of their destinations and movements while encouraging residents to promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies.
The police reiterated their commitment to protecting lives and property and ensuring that criminal elements have no safe haven in the state.
