The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, has read the Riot Act to criminal gangs terrorising communities and causing mayhem in various parts of the state.

He urged them to surrender their arms or risk the treatment given to Gift Okpara a.k.a 2Baba, the prime suspect in the gruesome murder of former Divisional Police Officer of Ahoada Division, Bako Angbashim, in Odiemudie community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state in September.

The wanted leader of the Iceland cult group, 2Baba, was killed during a joint security raid on one of his hideouts in Ebrass forest in Ahoada West LGA on February 19.

Disu spoke when the Orashi National Congress led by its President General, Emeni Ibe, paid him a thank you visit in his office at the police headquarters on Moscow Road in Port Harcourt on Friday.

He said it was high time armed miscreants turned in their arms as the police had information about them and would smoke them out sooner than later.

Disu revealed that 2Baba had many informants, even as he expressed dismay that people hardly acknowledged the efforts put in by policemen in protecting lives and property.

Disu said it was unacceptable for anyone to take the life of another, let alone kill a law enforcement officer, saying such individuals must pay dearly for their actions.

Disu said, “Sincerely, we are just doing our job. It is not acceptable anywhere in the world for anybody to take the law into their hands to kill anybody. Not just anybody, law enforcement officers, it is unacceptable to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“Anybody who touches law enforcement agents has touched the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We had vowed against anybody who kills any citizen anywhere in this country. And for us in Rivers State, we will go after them and we have been doing that.”

He recalled that on assumption of office as Commissioner of Police, his first assignment was an operational visit to Ahoada and the area where the erstwhile DPO was killed.

“There, I spoke with the officers, gingered them and let them know that it is our duty for us to find the killers of our police officer. They killed him (Angbashim), humiliated him in death.

“The officers promised that the deed would be done. And I’m happy today that they lived up to their expectations. I’m sure many people didn’t know we were working on it. We were working on it every day.

“I will just mention one or two that we did. On December 31, 2023, when almost everybody was in church waiting to say Happy New Year (2024), we were in the forest and we had an encounter with him (2Baba).

“He ran further into the forest before he went to the last place where he was. We didn’t shout about it. We kept on working on him; he had a lot of informants. Before any new person entered Ahoada, he was aware. They know our (police) movements in and out before this last onslaught on him,” he said.

To the visitors, he said, “I appreciate all of you that are here and a lot of people in your community assisted us seriously as well, and contributed to this success. I thank the governor for asking me every second, ‘Commissioner of Police, where is 2Baba?’

“I want to thank the IGP who kept advising us on how to go about it and ensured that the necessary gadgets, and equipment we needed for this operation, got to us.”

The CP said further, “Where I got emotional most was when his corpse was recovered and taken to Ahoada. It happened at midnight. Women from all angles came out, I did not see men.

“They were crying and they were raining curses on the corpse. That got me emotional and kept me thinking what could he have done against women to receive their curses even in death? It was later that men started coming out.”

While thanking them for their visit, Disu said, “You don’t know what you have done to the Nigerian Police. Every day we are out there doing our job to ensure that people sleep well.

“We feel people don’t see what we do. We feel people don’t appreciate us. You have cancelled that today. You have made us feel loved. I will tell members of the Rivers State Police Command that you came to say thank you to them. And this may make us do more.

Earlier, President General of the Orashi National Congress, Ibe, had said they visited to thank the CP for his laudable efforts and achievements since he assumed office, especially the killing of the wanted cult leader and retrieving his corpse.

He said, “On behalf of the good people of Orashi Region in Rivers State, which comprises Abua/Odua, Ahoada East, Ahoada West and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGAs of the state, we came to thank you and register our deepest appreciation for the success recorded in the state since your assumption of office as Commissioner of Police.

“Especially the recovery of the decomposing corpse of the most wanted cult leader in the Ahoada area, Gift David Okpara a.k.a 2Baba on February 22, 2024 at about 12.00 hours. In recognition and appreciation of your incomparable effort, may I crave your indulgence to present this award of honour to you as the best Commissioner of Police, just to say thank you.” (The PUNCH)

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