Residents Flee Rivers Community, As Police Launch Manhunt For Killers Of Beheaded DPO

Residents of the Odumude community in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State have reportedly fled, following the police’s launch of a manhunt for the killers of one of its Divisional Police Officers (DPO), Bako Angbanshin.

The Rivers State Police Command vowed on Saturday to clamp down on the killers of Angbanshin, Naija News reported.

Angbanshin was brutally murdered in the Odumude community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state, on Friday night, by suspected cultists.

The state Commissioner for Police in the state, Emeka Nwonyi, in a statement on Saturday, confirmed how Angbanshin was killed when he led a team of operatives to raid some criminal hideouts in the area.

Nwonyi narrated that while returning, gunmen suspected to be cultists ambushed them, and Angbanshin’s men retreated after running out of ammunition.

He explained that the late DPO sustained fatal injuries and was captured by the gunmen who took him away to murder him.

Sequel to this, the police on Saturday launched a manhunt for the killers of the deceased, as well as conducting a search to recover his body.

According to the police in the state, since the launch of the manhunt, residents have abandoned the community, possibly for fear of being apprehended.

During the operation, the Rivers CP, with his team along with tactical units, arrested six suspects within the community and also seized some items,  locally crafted pistol and some charms.

The Police spokesperson in Rivers State, SP Grace Iringe Koko, in a statement, said the suspects and the confiscated items are currently under police custody and are undergoing interrogation at the State CID, Port Harcourt.

She said a new DPO, SP Zuokumor Richard, has been assigned to the division, and  “He is accompanied by half a unit of men from Mopol 48, a one-third unit from Mopol 19, 56, and tactical teams. He has been tasked with a thorough search of the area, apprehension of the culprits responsible for the DPO’s demise, recovery of the body, and location of any operational weapons used. This operation will continue while the investigation remains ongoing.” 

Meanwhile, on Sunday, this platform reported that the Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubari had charged security agencies in the state to smoke out the killers of late SP Bako Angbashim.

Governor Fubara, who spoke to journalists shortly after an emergency security council meeting at Government House, Port Harcourt, on Sunday, described the incident as unfortunate and barbaric.

He sympathized with the Nigerian Police and the family of the slain officer and vowed to make Rivers State unsafe for criminal activities.

“As a government, we will not rest until whoever is responsible for this act is brought to book,” the governor said.

Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, on Saturday, placed N100 million on the killers of Divisional Police Officer, Bako Angbashim, in Odiemudie Community, Ahoada East local government area of the state.

Naija News learned that Governor Fubara declared one Gift, David Okpara Okpolowu, popularly known as 2-Baba, and all members of his criminal gang wanted for the murder of Angbashim.

The Governor promised to give anyone with useful information that would lead to his arrest and prosecution the sum of N100 million.