The marine unit of the Rivers State Police Command has recovered the corpse of the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the Rivers State Cassava Project Limited, Mr. Gibson Reuben, an expatriate from the Netherlands.
The late Reuben was attacked on Monday night at Aleto Bridge on the East-West Road, near the Indorama Petrochemical complex by hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers.
He was driving a Toyota Hilux van when he skidded off the bridge and plunged into the Okulu River, while trying to maneouvre and escape from the suspected kidnappers.
Chairman of Eleme Local Government Council, Chief Brain Gokpa was said to have mobilized rescue efforts immediately and was later supported by the marine component of the state police command.
However, by the time the rescuers located the expatriate on Tuesday, he was already dead.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Grace Iringe-Koko in a statement confirming the incident on Tuesday said: “The Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Police Command, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, has visited the scene of a gruesome attack on the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Rivers State Cassava Project Limited, Mr. Gibson Reuben, an expatriate from the Netherlands.
“The incident occurred on Monday, 13th. January, 2025, at about 2030hrs. at Aleto Eleme Bridge, where unknown gunmen ambushed Reuben’s vehicle, causing him to lose control and crash into the river.
“Fortunately, the mobile oolice personnel accompanying Reuben managed to escape, but he and the Hilux van are still submerged in the water.
“A search party led by the command’s marine unit has since been constituted to rescue the expatriate who is also the driver in -charge of the Hilux van. The search party’s efforts resulted in the recovery of the lifeless body of the expatriate, Mr Gibson Reuben and the white colour Toyota Hilux van”
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The statement said the state police commissioner was accompanied by the area commander Eleme, divisional police officers within the Eleme area command and tactical teams of the command already at the scenes.
“The commissioner of police at the scene strongly condemned the attack as very barbaric and has ordered a full scale investigation with immediate arrest of the perpetrators of the reprehensible act, vowing to bring them to justice.
“This incident is a disturbing situation and the police commissioner’s swift response is a welcome step towards addressing these concerns. He is calling on the good people of Rivers State to provide credible information that could lead to the arrest of the fleeing perpetrators of this act.”
The scene of the attack is close to the area where scores of people and vehicles were burnt early last year, when a truck laden with petroleum products collided with another vehicle and spilled its contents which ignited fire and caused a colossal damage.
The Eleme-Onne axis of the East -West Road has remained a death trap due to the deplorable condition of the road.
