Rivers State Police Command, Disu, pays final respect to late Officer, Bako

The Rivers State Police Command led the Commissioner of Police CP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, gathered on Saturday 27th July 2024, at the Police Mess in Port Harcourt to pay their final respects to a fallen hero, the late SP Bako Angbashim, who tirelessly served in this command and dedicated himself to eradicating crime in the state. 

He was instrumental in arresting the notorious criminal, Boboski, who had terrorized motorists along the Akwa-Ibom section of the East-West Road, and restored order to Bori and its environs by eliminating all forms of cultism when he was the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Bori.

According to the CP Tunji Disu, his gallantry and operational expertise led to his transfer to the Ahoada Division, where he was tasked with effecting the arrest of a most-wanted criminal, Gift Opara, also known as 2Baba. 

He employed all his skills and experience to apprehend 2Baba and his associates alive, and was on the verge of a breakthrough when he met the tragic event that resulted in his murder and dismemberment.

Following the gory incident, the Command was initially unable to recover the late SP Bako Angbashim's remains. However, the CP said the police command are now pleased to announce that they have successfully recovered his remains.

Investigations into the murder of the late SP Bako Angbashim led the Command to launch an assault on those responsible, 2Baba and his cohorts. 

The operation resulted in the neutralization of the suspects and the subsequent recovery of remains believed to be those of the late officer.

To ensure closure for the bereaved family and the Police, a thorough examination was conducted to confirm the identity of the recovered remains.

In collaboration with the immediate family of the late SP Bako Angbashim, DNA samples were collected and analyzed by the Forensic Department at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon, Lagos. After weeks of meticulous sample preparation and genetic matching, the results revealed a 99.99% probability that the DNA profile extracted from the recovered remains matched that of the deceased's mother, Embegbu Angbashim, and brother, Timothy Angbashim. 

This conclusively confirmed that the individual whose remains were submitted for examination was indeed the late SP Bako Angbashim.

The Police CP, Disu went ahead to express his deepest appreciation to the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalaiyi Fubara, who kept his word and redeemed the ₦100 million pledge to those who provided credible information that led to the neutralization of the suspect, 2Baba, and the recovery of his corpse which was hidden by his gang members. 

He also thanked the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun PhD, NPM, for his encouragement and support throughout the operation.

Furthermore, he expressed sincere gratitude to the Nigerian Air Force, for their timely air support  and the cooperation of other sister security agencies in Rivers State that also played vital roles in this operation.

He thanked the late officer's family for their patience and perseverance, and relieved that they, along with the Nigeria Police, have finally found closure. 

Commends the men of the Command for their dedication and determination in bringing his murderers to justice. 

Lastly, he thanked the gentlemen of the fourth estate of the realm - the press, the residents of the State, and other stakeholders for their support during the investigations.