Police arrest 2 men in connection to serial killing of Port Harcourt women
One of the suspects was tracked down and arrested in Kaduna State by police officers.
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The killings started around July, and occurred in hotel rooms where young women were discovered with white clothes tied around their necks and waist.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, September 17, 2019, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Dandaura, said one suspect was tracked down and arrested in Kaduna, and the other suspect was arrested after a complaint filed by a young woman who said a man was trying to lure her to a hotel with a promise to pay her N30,000.
"So far, we have made substantial progress in the investigation of these killings.
"In one of the cases, the actual murder suspect has been arrested and he is making useful confessions.
"He would have been paraded today (Tuesday), but we are still working on some clues given by him that may aid our investigation," he said, according to The Punch.
While many Nigerians have speculated with wild theories that a methodical serial killer is on the loose, Dandaura blamed the killings on "desperate cultists and ritualists".
The Police chief said authorities are working with hotel owners to put security measures in place to prevent a recurrence.
One of such measures is the installation of closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV).
He said hotels that fail to install cameras at the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum would be shut down.
He said hotels have also been instructed to train their employees in security and safety tips and submit guests' reports to the Police Intelligence Bureau on a weekly basis.
He also advised strict compliance with check-in and check-out procedures through the confirmation of guests' phone numbers, identity cards and the registration of visitors.
Hotel operators have also been warned to not accept guests on a short stay period.
Dandaura revealed that staff members of two hotels where two separate murders took place have been arrested for failing to comply with the directive to improve security.
"They will be investigated and, if found culpable, charged with culpable homicide," he said.
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