Men of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested one of the suspects linked to the killing of Mr Bako Angbashim.
On September 8, Angbashim, Superintendent of Police, led his men to raid criminal hideouts in the Odemude community of the state’s Ahoada West Local Government Area when they were ambushed, opened fire, and eventually captured Angbashim, decapitated his body, and filmed their action.
Since the event, the State Police Command, led by Commissioner of Police Emeka Nwonyi, has been looking for the perpetrators.
Grace Iringe-Koko, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, confirmed the arrest of one of the suspects in a statement issued on Wednesday.
She claimed that the culprit was ready to be lynched by the youths before police intervened.
“The Rivers State Police operatives on Monday, 25/09/2023 at about 19:43hrs acting on actionable information received that in Edoaha Community in Ahoada East, one of the suspects who brutally killed SP Bako Angbashim was about to be lynched to death by an angry mob,” she stated.
“Subsequently, a team of policemen swung into action to rescue the suspect who was about to be burnt with a tyre on his neck. He was rescued and brought to the station where he made a useful statement.
“He was later transferred to SCID for discreet investigation with a view to apprehend the fleeing kingpin, his gang members, and to recover their operational weapons.”
The unnamed suspect is alleged to be a member of the group that brutally murdered a DPO, SP Bako Angbashim, earlier this month.
His death drew widespread outrage, with the police high command, the Federal and Rivers State governments both ordering an inquiry and the arrest of the suspects.
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara also imposed a one-million-naira reward on the kingpin, Gift David Okpara Okpolowu, and his criminal gang.
A video of the suspects celebrating and praising themselves as conquerors appeared on the internet days after they were declared wanted.
The video, however, exposed and revealed the identities of more members of the group, including the arrested suspect.
