Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested six people from Odiemudie in Akoh Kingdom, Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state over the killing of the District Police Officer of Ahoada Police Division, Mr. Bako Angbashim.
Cultists terrorizing Akoh Kingdom and its environs had on Friday killed and decapitated the body of Bako, a Superintendent of Police, causing serious security breach in the area.
Following the development, the governor of the state, Sir Siminalaye Fubara, who expressed worries over the killing had placed N100 million bounty on the prime suspect fingered in the murder, Gift Okpara Okpolowu, popularly called 2baba.
The State’s Police Commissioner, Nwonyi Emeka, had Saturday moved into the area with heavily security mobilisation in search of the killer cultists and restoration of peace, and normalcy in the troubled area.
However, Governor Fubara, who is enraged with the development, yesterday convened an emergency Security Council Meeting in Government House, Port Harcourt, with heads of all security agencies in the state to review the situation.
The meeting was attended by, Brig. Gen. E. U. Effiong, 6 Division Garrison Commander Nigerian Army; Group Captain A. H. Idris, Commander 115, Special Operation Group; Commodore D.O.C. Igbo, Commander NNS, Pathfinder; CP Polycap Emeka Nwonyi, Rivers State Commissioner of Police; the Director of the Department of State Services, Rivers State Command and Commandant Basil Igwebueze, NSCDC Commandant, Rivers State Command and others, according to a statement by the governor’s Special Assistant on Media, Boniface Onyedi.
Fubara in the meeting specifically tasked the security agencies to get the prime suspect (Gift Okpara Okpolowu) at all cost as a clear statement that the state is not a safe haven for criminals.
The Governor, who described the incident as unfortunate and barbaric, sympathized with the Nigerian Police and the family of the slain officer, and vowed to make the state unsafe for criminal activities, expressing confidence in the security agencies to apprehend the culprits.
“We have gone further to show our commitment in this issue by placing a bounty on the criminals and also suspended the traditional ruler of that locality. We will do everything on our part to ensure we get to the end of this matter, we must get him at all cost.
“Rivers State has never and will not be a home of criminality. I believe that the caliber of men that are heading the security unit of the state will do everything within their powers to settle these matters.”
Meanwhile, the CP, Emeka, along with his management team and tactical units, Saturday, conducted an operation in search of the dare-devil killers and arrested six suspects.
The police spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, who disclosed in a statement in Port Harcourt, yesterday, regretted that residents of the community have all fled for safety.
Iringe-Koko said: “The Commissioner of Police for Rivers State, CP Nwonyi Emeka Polycarp, along with his management team and tactical units, conducted an operation on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at approximately 0600hrs in Odumude Community, Ahaoda East LGA, Rivers State with the objective to recover the deceased DPO’s body and conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the community.
“During this operation, six suspects were apprehended within the community. Among the items seized were a locally crafted pistol and various charms. These suspects and the confiscated items are currently under police custody and are undergoing interrogation at the State CID, Port Harcourt. As a result of these developments, the community has been evacuated by its residents.
“Furthermore, a new DPO, SP Zuokumor Richard, has been assigned to the division. He is accompanied by half a unit of men from Mopol 48, one-third unit from Mopol 19, 56, and tactical teams. He has been tasked with a thorough search of the area, apprehension of the culprits responsible for the DPO’s demise, recovery of the body, and location of any operational weapons used. This operation will continue while the investigation remains ongoing.”
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