A 34-year-old man, Horsefall Rowland, was found dead in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, after being held captive by kidnappers who accused him of attempting to purchase drugs with a fake bank alert.
Rowland’s ordeal began on September 10, 2024, when he failed to return home after informing his mother, Gloria George, that he was attending a meeting along Peter Odili Road and the Government Reserved Area (GRA) in Port Harcourt.
His mother recounted that he called her at about 10 p.m., reassuring her he was on his way home.
However, when he became unreachable overnight, Gloria’s worries escalated.
Her fears were confirmed early the next morning when Rowland called at 5:05 a.m., frantically informing her that he had been kidnapped.
In a desperate attempt to secure his release, the family initially transferred N30,000 to his captors.
But the demands escalated, with the kidnappers later insisting on N2.5 million before eventually settling for N300,000.
“They sent voice notes and pictures to his girlfriend, threatening us to act quickly or consider him dead,” Gloria George explained.
Despite sending the agreed sum to Rowland’s account, the family lost contact with him, only to discover his lifeless body along Queens/Kings Bakery Road in Abuloma, Port Harcourt.
The Rivers State Police Command launched an investigation, leading to the arrest of five suspects: Endurance Thompson, 23; Boma Otonye, 41; David Ishaku, 34; Moses Benjamin, 29; and Emmanuel, 32.
According to police reports, the prime suspect, Thompson, was apprehended at his hideout in Woji. During interrogation, he admitted to killing Rowland after an altercation over a fraudulent bank transfer for cocaine.
Thompson alleged that Rowland, a regular customer, owed him N150,000. On the night of the incident, Rowland reportedly attempted to pay for drugs using a fake transfer alert.
“I have known Rowland since December 2023. He usually bought Charlie (cocaine) from me but often used fake alerts. When I discovered his trick, I raised the alarm.
He was beaten but later begged me to take him to the hospital. I called Justice, who asked me to bring him over. Unfortunately, Rowland died in the Keke Marwa that was taking him there.
Justice and Michael then dumped his body beside a bakery,” Thompson confessed.
Rivers State Police spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed that Rowland’s body had been deposited in a morgue.
She added that efforts are ongoing to apprehend other individuals linked to the crime.
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