By Ola Kay
In a coordinated joint operation that targeted the camp of a deceased cult leader, Gift Okpara, (famously known as 2Baba), the Rivers State Police Command has exhumed the remains of a murdered former Divisional Police Officer, DPO, of Ahoada Police Division, of the rank of Superintendent of Police, SP, Bako Angbashim.
In a statement by the command’s spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe Koko on Wednesday 13 March, 2024 which confirmed the incident informed that the operation was carried out on Sunday, March 10, 2024, by tactical squads from the Rivers State Police Command and personnel from the Force Intelligence Bureau.
“The operation targeted the camp of the deceased cult leader, Gift Okpara, famously known as 2Baba, situated within the forested region of Odiemude Community in Ahoada East Local Government Area,” said the spokesperson.
She explained further that, ” diligent search led to the discovery of a burial site within the gang’s shrine, where the remains of the slain Police Officer, SP Bako Angbashim, were located and subsequently exhumed, notably, the exhumed remains include the skull of the deceased….the recovered remains have been taken to the mortuary, where they will undergo scientific examination and genetic testing.”
The PPRO revealed that the tests to be carried out were aimed at establishing the identity of the remains through a meticulous comparison with samples obtained from the late officer’s relatives, while efforts are still underway to locate and retrieve the remaining dismembered parts of SP Bako Angbashim’s body, suspected to have been buried at various undisclosed locations within the forest.
Recall that 2Baba, the leader of the notorious gang responsible for the crime met his waterloo on February 17, 2024, ( reported by The Pinnacle Times) during a planned assault executed by the Rivers State Police Command. In the process, ‘2Baba’ died in Ebrass, Ahoada West Local Government Area, but his gang members were said to have managed to escape with his body.
Grace Koko added that, following an intensive seven-day search, which was supported by credible intelligence, Tubaba’s (the gang leader) body was ultimately recovered from a shallow grave in the Ebrass forest.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu, on behalf of the Rivers State Police Command, has commended what he described as “the unwavering dedication and resolute commitment demonstrated by all the officers involved in this operation.”
The Command also extended its gratitude to the community members for their invaluable support throughout the investigation process, while assuring of its commitment to continue to prioritize the safety and security of all residents, and as it promised to continue to be on the trail of the remaining members of the gang with a view to apprehending and prosecuting them.
The Command also pledged to provide regular updates to the public as development unfolds.
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