PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria – The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Emeka Nwonyi, has revealed new details surrounding the gruesome murder of Superintendent of Police Bako Angbashim, the late Divisional Police Officer, DPO of Ahoada.
According to Nwonyi, Angbashim was deceived by cultists into believing they would surrender their arms in exchange for amnesty, only to be ambushed and killed.
Nwonyi made these statements at the headquarters of the Rivers State Police Command during a solidarity protest led by human rights advocate Charles Jaja on Monday, September 11, 2023.
Regretfully, Nwonyi noted that Angbashim had trusted the cultists, a mistake he only realized in his death.
“And he played to the gallery, only to know in death that these people were rather crafty in their operation and lured him for an onslaught,” the Commissioner lamented.
Emphasizing the cultists’ grave error, Nwonyi said, “You have touched the lion’s tail. Those men must be caught to face the wrath of the law.”
He vowed that the police would not relent until crime in Rivers State was reduced to its “barest minimum.”
The Commissioner also expressed gratitude for the N100 million bounty placed on the prime suspect, Gift Okpara Okpolowu, by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
“Be a whistleblower and make the money, and also help to make sure we arrest these bad guys for your own interest and humanity,” he urged the public.
Charles Jaja, who led the solidarity protest, described the slain DPO as a committed officer who had contributed significantly to public safety.
Jaja, from Opobo town, recounted instances when Angbashim had been helpful to his community.
Recalling last Friday’s horrific incident, cultists ambushed Angbashim and his men during a raid in Odiemudie community.
After a prolonged gunfight, Angbashim’s team ran out of ammunition and fled.
Angbashim, who had stayed behind, also ran out of bullets, was captured, and brutally decapitated by the cultists.
The tragic incident has raised concerns about the effectiveness of policing strategies and the alarming level of cult-related violence in the region.
