It is no longer news, that at a time when the people of Nigeria are looking for institutional redemption, a huge dark cloud enveloped the skies of Rivers state on Friday September 8th 2023, when news of the gruesome murder of a model police officer, a near-perfect personel, who can be rated as a shinning star of the Nigerian police force filtered in.
SP Bako Amgbashim was a sign of hope to many Rivers people of conscience, and even beyond the borders of our state. Those who encountered him, or heard of his heroic deeds would immediately marvel at his distinctive trait, that in the mucky waters of filt infested system, a man could distinguish himself, to resist the influence of peer pressure and get-rich-quick syndrome that has become synonymous with most police officers today.
SP Amgbashim Bako was amongst the few, if not the only known DPO in Rivers state in recent time, who would defy the comfort and profligacy that comes with his office as a DPO, to lead crime fighting from the front, without recourse to risk associated with it. And he did it just so fine to the admiration of the communities he liberated and gave peace, but to the dismay of the criminals and trouble makers.
Evil like they say, came fighting back. Hence, Bako was killed in a despicable manner that deserves immediate retribution for the perpetrators and their accomplices without delay. It is consequent upon the foregone that we are making the following demands, because in this case, justice delay will summarily mean justice denied. The death of this officer has struck a painful blow to all peace loving Rivers citizens.
OUR DEMAND:
1. That we deeply condole commiserate with the Rivers State Police high command. Though the loss of Bako has brought about societal setback for peace, but the command and the family of Bako bears the greater degree of loss, because it will be near impossible to immediately find someone to fulfill the role he played while alive, which his absence has left unattended to.
2. That no stone should be left unturn by the Police, and no resources should be seen as too great to deploy, until all those who played any role in SP Amgbashim’s death, wether openly or covertly, wether conscious or by negligence, are brought to book. Including his colleagues. RIVCSO will not back down on our demand for justice in this matter.
3. That there should be no “Sacred Cows” in the investigation and prosecution of anybody found culpable. And the public should be properly informed all through the way . This is necessary to boost and rekindle the confidence of the public and other officers, that they are not mere dispensable items of the force, that can just be forgotten in case of fatality in line of duty. This particular point we are watching keenly, and we know that the public are watching too, how the gov’t and the Police responds to the callous disrespect to the police institution by some misguided individuals, as the murderers of Bako Amgbashim has depicted.
4. *That there should be a memorial statue somewhere within the command, in honour of SP Bako Amgbashim.* This, the state government can replicate also, to spur and encourage other officers to strive to “walk and work” in his stead, because at a time when every fabric of our nationhood seems to be plagued with irresponsible act, deliberate steps and acts to trigger a renaissance of heroism in our institutions must be championed with vigor.
These are the few demands which we have to make of the police high command and the state government. And they are geared towards rejuvenating the dead psyche of the public that has been dampened by the dearth of nobility on the part of our societal managers today.
We understand that none of these can bring back the late SP Amgbashim, whose only crime was fighting crime and doing it so exceptionally. But we believe that although the deed has been done, now what matters most is how we respond to the deed that was done. Using this incident to birth a new vista that would put us on a new and better pedestal as a people.
Comrade Solomon Lenu.
PRO,
Rivers State Civil Society Organization, RIVCSO.
