Rivers CP narrates how cultists deceived slain DPO

Emeķa Nwonyi, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police has revealed how the late Divisional Police Officer of Ahoada, Bako Angbashim, was deceived by his killers.

Nwonyi, who made the revelation on Monday in Port Harcourt when a human rights activist, Charles Jaja had a solidarity protest at the Rivers State Police Command Headquarters, said the cultists had sold a dummy to the late Superintendent of Police that they were ready to turn in their arms if they would be granted amnesty in return.

Nwonyi, while expressing regret that the late Angbashim trusted the miscreants, only for him (Angbashim) to realise their deceit in death, said that by the action of the cultists, “they have touched the lion’s tail.”

He said: “What pains me most was the idea of him (Angbashim) believing like he kept saying that these people said they were ready to surrender their guns and come out for amnesty.

“And he played to the gallery, only to know in death that these people were rather crafty in their operation and lured him for an onslaught.

“We gave you (cultists) the opportunity to embrace peace, no personal interest attached than the interest we collectively have to make sure that Rivers State is peaceful.

“If you will not take it, was the option of killing this man the best? He has a family, he has children, and he has a wife. No! You have touched the lion’s tail. Those men must be caught to face the wrath of the law.

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“We will be unrepentant until we put crime and criminality to its barest minimum in Rivers State.”

Speaking further, Nwonyi said that paying the supreme price was not the best reward for policemen who left their families to protect lives and property.

“As police officers, if we left our family, our environment, our homes for a state or national duty like this, this is not the best trophy to take home.

“It is a clarion call for Nigeria, for Rivers State. It is wake-up call against the barbaric act. In this 21st century, a man that is not a criminal, that his only call was to come to sanitise society; that you should stop killing your fellow human beings, kidnapping your fellow human beings, destroying people’s property. That was the only crime”, the CP lamented.

While thanking the rights advocate for the visit, Nwonyi added: “It is a very painful time for us in the Command for losing one of our best hands.”

He also thanked Governor Siminalayi Fubara for the N100m bounty placed on the prime suspect, Gift Okpara Okpolowu, and his members for anyone that could provide information that would lead to their arrest.

“I am saying that patriotic citizens should take advantage of that. Be a whistleblower and make the money, and also help to make sure we arrest these bad guys for your own interest and humanity.”

Speaking earlier, Jaja described Angbashim’s death as a sad incident, which underscored the solidarity protest.

He said: “Angbashim was not someone that was not known to me, because I come from Opobo town and there were times he was very useful and helpful to the Opobo kingdom.

“He brought about sanity in our own senatorial district. And his death and the manner in which he was murdered left us without any measure, but to come and say we sympathize with the whole team”.

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