The Rivers State Police Command has laid slain Ahoada Divisional Police Officer, Bako Angbashim to rest.
The ceremony took place at the Police Officers Mess in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
The state commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu during the ceremony said,”Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. We are gathered here today to pay our final respects to a fallen hero, the late SP Bako Angbashim, who tirelessly served in this command and dedicated himself to eradicating crime in the state. He was instrumental in arresting the notorious criminal, Boboski, who had terrorized motorists along the Akwa-Ibom section of the East-West Road, and restored order to Bori and its environs by eliminating all forms of cultism when he was the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Bori.
“His gallantry and operational expertise led to his transfer to the Ahoada Division, where he was tasked with effecting the arrest of a most-wanted criminal, Gift Opara, also known as 2Baba. 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 ₦100 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 PhD, NPM, for his encouragement and support throughout the operation.
Furthermore, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Nigerian Air Force,for their timely air support . The cooperation of other sister security agencies in Rivers State also played vital roles in this operation.
I thank the late officer’s family for their patience and perseverance, and I am relieved that they, along with the Nigeria Police, have finally found closure. I commend the men of the Command for their dedication and determination in bringing his murderers to justice. Lastly, I would like to thank the gentlemen of the fourth estate of the realm – the press, the residents of the State, and other stakeholders for their support during the investigations.
