People from communities in Igbu-Akoh Clan in Ahoada East Local Government Area in Rivers State have been expressing fears about the safety of their lives and property following an all-out invasion of the communities by security agents to hunt the killers of the former divisional police officer, DPO, in the area, Mr. Bako Angbashim, by alleged members of a cult group at Odiemudie.
Most of the communities have been deserted while the indigenes have escaped to other towns and local government areas to escape indiscriminate arrest by the security personnel.
An indigene of Odiemudie, who now squats with friends in Port Harcourt, told National Point that security agents had been breaking into homes and destroying them in the search of culprits. He said it was difficult to go into the town to see what is happening because the roads to the place have been cordoned off. “Even access through the river is blocked. Anyone who goes there is taking a foolish risk,” he said.
The commissioner of Police, Dr. Emeka Nwonyi said during the week, that four of the people suspected to be among the gang that murdered the DPO had been shot dead in an encounter with the police at Odiemudie, while several other suspects had been arrested.
Two traditional rulers that the police linked to the suspected cult members had been arrested and taken to Abuja for further interrogation and investigation. One of them, Eze Igbu-Akoh Clan, Eze Cassidy Ikegbidi, was once a local government chairman, who wielded tremendous influence in the area.
The late DPO Bako, had achieved feats in his previous posting in Bori, Khana Local Government Area when he helped flush out criminals and cult members that terrorized Ogoni and Andoni areas of Rivers State, which earned him respect and commendations from the people before he was transferred to Ahoada East, where cult members had become terrors.
The cult members had taken over control of the area and subjected the people to fear and apprehension. Supported by some powerful and influential traditional rulers, the cultist unleashed a reign of terror of the people. They had even taken over the construction sites of the new road flagged off by the state government subjecting the contractor and workers to extortions and terror.
When DPO Bako was deployed to the area, he was said to have invited the cultists to submit themselves to an amnesty programme and surrender their arms. But they rebuffed him. At a point, some of the traditional rulers in the area protested the DPO’s posting to Ahoada.
Then one night, the DPO led an operation to one of the communities to flush out the cultists. But he was ambushed and killed with his body dismembered. The cultists filmed the body parts of the DPO and uploaded it on social media. A development that has raised serious condemnation and concern.
Bako’s death shattered the entire Rivers State community, especially in the Ogoni area, where he restored normalcy following a reign of terror by cultists.
A traditional ruler in Ahoada area told National Point that the slain DPO was loved in the area and that his death has destabilized activities in that axis. “DPO Bako was first in Ahoada before he went to Ogoni. That was why when here became hot we asked for him to be posted here. His death has scattered things here; many are unhappy and there is now serious insecurity here,” he said.
A female community leader lamenting the unhealthy state of security in the zone, informed that many are leaving communities for the city for safety.
“Ekpeyeland/Ahoada is highly volatile now, movement is restricted and this is affecting my work a great deal. We (my family) are considering moving to Port Harcourt if it gets tougher,” she said.
While the police declared the leader of the deadly cult group, one Gift David Okpara alias 2-Baba wanted, the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, placed a bounty of N100million on him and members of his gang.
The police commissioner said four members of the cult group were shot dead when a police squad confronted them at their hideout in a forest at Odiemudie.
He said, “On September 10, 2023, at about 10.30hrs actionable intelligence revealed that a gang of notorious Iceland cultists, armed robbery suspects and kidnappers led by one Gift David Okpara, a.k.a 2-Baba who led the notorious gang that brutally murdered SP Bako Angbashim, the DPO of Ahoada on September 8, 2023 were in their hideout in Odiemude forest.
“Following the information, a combined command tactical operatives and Area Command, Ahoada stormed the forest in an effort to arrest the notorious hoodlums and possibly recover the corpse of the late officer. The hoodlums were battle ready to inflict more injuries and casualties on the police, immediately engaging the police in a gun battle, during which four of the notorious hoodlums are yet to be identified sustained fatal gun injuries while others escaped into the forest.”
