Mother’s Hope Turns to Tragedy as Son Is Killed, Police Arrest Five Suspects in Cocaine Related Killing of Port Harcourt Man Accused of Using Fake Bank Alert to Purchase Drugs
PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE– The tragic death of 34-year-old Horsefall Rowland has left his family devastated after he was allegedly beaten to death over a fake bank transfer used to purchase cocaine in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Rowland’s mother, Gloria George, recounted the horrific events that unfolded after her son left home on September 10, 2024, for a meeting at Peter Odili Road and the Government Reserved Area (GRA). He reassured her during a late-night phone call that he was on his way home, but Rowland never made it back.
At 5 a.m. the next day, Rowland frantically called his mother, claiming he had been kidnapped. His captors demanded a ransom, sending voice notes and threatening images to his family. Despite their desperate efforts to secure his release, Rowland’s lifeless body was found dumped along Queens/Kings Bakery Road in Abuloma.
Police Arrest Suspects
The Rivers State Police Command’s Special Operations and Intelligence Team launched an investigation, leading to the arrest of five suspects:
- Endurance Thompson (23)
- Boma Otonye (41)
- David Ishaku (34)
- Moses Benjamin (29)
- Emmanuel (32)
Prime Suspect Confesses
Endurance Thompson, the prime suspect, confessed to the crime, revealing that Rowland was beaten after being accused of using fake bank alerts to purchase hard drugs.
Thompson claimed that Rowland had been a regular customer since December 2023 but often used fraudulent transfers to pay for cocaine, also known as “Charlie.”
“I discovered that he had been deceiving me with fake alerts. On the day of the incident, he owed me N150,000,” Thompson confessed.
According to Thompson, after Rowland was beaten and injured, he pleaded for medical help. Thompson and his accomplices attempted to take him to a contact known as Justice, but Rowland succumbed to his injuries inside a tricycle. His body was later dumped near a bakery.
Police Investigation Continues
Rivers State Police spokesperson SP Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed that Rowland’s body has been deposited in a morgue while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other suspects involved in the crime.
This chilling incident underscores the dark realities of drug-related crimes and the devastating impact they have on families and communities.
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