Police hand over body of slain Rivers DPO to family

The Rivers State Police Command on Saturday handed over the body of slain Ahoada Divisional Police Officer, SP Bako Angbashim, to the family.

Angbashim was ambushed and killed on September 8, 2023 by a gang of criminals at a hideout in Ahoada, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Shortly after his death the command launched a man hunt for the killers of the DPO which resulted in the killing of leader of the gang, one Gift Opara popularly known as 2Baba, and some of his gang members.

Handing over Angbashim’s body to the family after a brief ceremony at police officers’ mess, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, said the late DPO tirelessly served in the command and dedicated himself to eradicating crime in the state.

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Disu said the deceased was instrumental in arresting the notorious criminal, Boboski, whom he said had terrorized motorists along the Akwa-Ibom section of the East-West Road.

The CP noted that Agbashim restored order to Bori and its environs by eliminating all forms of cultism when he was the DPO in Bori.

Disu said the gallantry and operational expertise of the late Agbashim led to his transfer to the Ahoada Division, where he was tasked with arresting most wanted criminal, 2Baba.

The CP said, “He employed all his skills and experience to apprehend 2Baba and his associates alive, and was on the verge of a breakthrough when he met the tragic event that resulted in his murder and dismemberment.

“Following the gory incident, the command was initially unable to recover the late SP Bako Angbashim’s remains. However, we are now pleased to announce that we have successfully recovered his remains.

“Investigations into the murder of the late SP Bako Angbashim led the command to launch an assault on those responsible, 2Baba and his cohorts. The operation resulted in the neutralization of the suspects and the subsequent recovery of remains believed to be those of the late officer. To ensure closure for the bereaved family and the police, a thorough examination was conducted to confirm the identity of the recovered remains.

“In collaboration with the immediate family of the late SP Bako Angbashim, DNA samples were collected and analyzed by the Forensic Department at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon, Lagos. After weeks of meticulous sample preparation and genetic matching, the results revealed a 99.99% probability that the DNA profile extracted from the recovered remains matched that of the deceased’s mother, Embegbu Angbashim, and brother, Timothy Angbashim. This conclusively confirmed that the individual whose remains were submitted for examination was indeed the late SP Bako Angbashim.

“I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalaiyi Fubara, who kept his word and redeemed the N100 million pledge to those who provided credible information that led to the neutralization of the suspect, 2Baba, and the recovery of his corpse which was hidden by his gang members. I also want to thank the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun for his encouragement and support throughout the operation.”

Earlier in his sermon, Rivers State Police Command Chaplain, Rev. Peter Justus, described the deceased as a gallant police officer who sacrificed his life for the good of society.

He called on police officers in the country to leave a legacy they would be remembered for.

Receiving the body of the deceased, his elder brother, Dogo Agbashim thanked the state police command for the efforts made to recover the corpses.

He said the deceased served his country meritoriously as a police officer.