The commissioner of police in Rivers State, Mr Emeka Nwonyi, said the cultists who killed the divisional police officer of Ahoada, Bako Angbashim, deceived him that they were to ready to lay down surrender in exchange for amnesty.
The commissioner disclosed this when a human rights campaigner, Mr Charles Jaja, visited him at the headquarters of the state police command in Port Harcourt yesterday.
Nwonyi said the late police officer trusted the marauders but realised their deceit when it was too late.
“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,” he said.
However, he said the cultists had swallowed a long pestle and would have to sleep standing.
“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.
“We will be unrepentant until we put crime and criminality to its barest minimum in Rivers State.”
He called on citizens of the state, nay, Nigerians to stand up to criminal.
“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.”
He expressed appreciation to the governor of the state, Mr Siminalayi Fubara for the N100 million bounty placed on the prime suspect, Gift Okpara Okpolowu, and his members.
Earlier in his remarks, Jaja said Angbashim’s death was shocking alleged that some politicians were sponsoring criminal gangs.
He said knew deceased police officer one-on-one and how 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 sympathise with the whole team,” he added.
Meanwhile, the police have arrested six suspects in connection with the gruesome murder of the DPO.
Spokesperson for the command, Ms Grace Iringe-Koko, said yesterday that the suspects were caught within the community.
She said Nwonyi, his management team and the tactical units, conducted an operation last Saturday in Odumude community, to recover the deceased DPO’s body and conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the community which yielded in the arrest of the suspects.
“During this operation, six suspects were apprehended. Among the items seized from them were a locally crafted pistol and various charms. These suspects are currently in police custody and undergoing interrogation at the State Criminal and Investigation Department (SCIID), Port Harcourt.”
She, however, said a new DPO, Zuokumor Richard, had been assigned to the division, adding that the DPO was accompanied by half a unit of men from Mopol 48, 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 Angbashim’s demise, recovery of the body, and location of any operational weapons used. This operation will continue, while the investigation remains ongoing,” she said. Sic
