Again, dare-devil one chance robbers dare the police as they terrorize Rivers State and its environs, robbing and killing their victims, especially women
By Chinedu Oguh, Port Harcourt
There are rising incidents of killer ‘once chance’ armed robbers in parts of Rivers State and neighbouring states, a situation that is giving the police and other security agencies serious concern.
Tentacle reliably gathered that the modus operandi of the heartless one chance robbers is robbing and killing of their victims, the development that is giving the authorities and residents sleepless nights.
Only recently, the body of a young woman who was abducted in Port Harcourt by suspected one-chance operators was found and deposited at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) mortuary, a tragic outcome that has elicited grief and outrage on social platforms.
Ihunda Nkiruka Jennifer’s fate became a subject of public concern after her sister, a nurse identified as Jane Ogbu, took to social media to appeal for help in locating her abduction. Ogbu had revealed that Jennifer managed to throw her bag away before she was forcibly taken, a detail that she hoped might help in tracking her sister’s whereabout.
But the hope that fueled public appeal was shattered on Thursday, June 5, 2026 when Ogbu returned online to deliver the devastating news that her sister had been found dead. In a heartbroken post, the nurse wrote, “Nigeria: 100, Me: 0.”
According to family members, when Jennifer was abducted around the Rumuosi area of Port Harcourt, the family launched an immediate search that eventually led them to a hospital near Air Force Road, where they discovered that her body had been taken to UPTH mortuary.
The family alleged that Jennifer was thrown from a moving vehicle near the Eliozu axis, close to Harmony Estate. They said she sustained fatal head injuries consistent with being pushed from the vehicle at speed and that her body also bore signs of physical struggle with her attackers before she was discarded.
The tragic incident has added to the growing public anxiety over the menace of one-chance operators-criminal gangs who lure unsuspecting victims into vehicles before robbing, assaulting, or killing them in Port Harcourt and other major Nigerian cities.
Calls for security agencies to intensify efforts against the deadly practice have intensified following Jennifer’s death. Rivers State has in recent time witnessed multiple cases of one chance robbery and killings, prompting the State Police Command to intensify surveillance and community policing in high-risk areas.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command has released safety tips against “one-chance crimes.” According to the statement, members of the public are advised to observe the following precautionary measures to avoid falling victims to the “one chance” criminals.
The report reads that people should avoid boarding tricycles, motorcycles, or vehicles from isolated or poorly lit locations, especially at night.
People should be cautious of vehicles carrying suspicious or unusually aggressive occupants. Avoid entering vehicles with covered or heavily tinted interiors where occupants cannot be clearly identified.
People should share their trip details or destination with trusted relatives or friends whenever possible, refrain from openly displaying cash, mobile phones, jewellery, or other valuables while on transit and ensure the vehicles they board could be opened from inside and outside.
On entry, ask the photograph of the vehicle and its registration number before boarding and send to relations and if you do not feel safe, insist on getting off the vehicle immediately.
The Police Command has reaffirmed restrictions on tricycles and motorcycles as passengers against entering “one chance” vehicles.
The statement stressed that in line with the directives of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, under the leadership of the Rivers State Commissioner of Police (CP) Olugbenga Adepoju, the Rivers State Police Command wishes to remind members of the public that the existing restriction on the movement of motorcycles and tricycles from 10:00pm remains fully in force across the state. Operators and owners are strongly advised to comply strictly with this directive.
“The enforcement, which takes immediate effect is part of intensified efforts to curb the growing menace of “one chance” robberies, abductions and other violent crimes in Rivers State. Any individual or group caught in such criminal activities will be dealt with decisively in accordance with the law,” the statement added.
Also, the command insisted that no commercial vehicle should be fitted with tinted glass or covered in any manner capable of concealing the identity of passengers or occupants and warned that any commercial bus or keke that violates the directive will be impounded, while the operator will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.
The covering, alteration of vehicle plate numbers or concealment of vehicle plate is strictly prohibited. The CP also directed the arrest of offenders without hesitation and the use of unregistered vehicle within the state is prohibited and will be no longer be tolerated. Owners and operators of such vehicles are advised to regularize their documentation without delay.
A security analyst in Port Harcourt, Chisom Ibe also advised people and members of the public to always board vehicles from registered bus stops. “If you are not boarding from a bus stop, look at the faces of those in the vehicle before you board such vehicle to avoid being a victim.
“If you enter a vehicle and someone tells you to shift for space in the vehicle, it is not enough, please just alight from such vehicle, always be conscious,” Chisom admonished.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Agabe Blessing Kaborlo, further said that the state Police Command remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding lives and property and urges all residents to remain law-abiding, vigilant and cooperative with security agencies in the fight against crime and criminality.
