Emma Sunday, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Police Command says it is still trailing Mr. Gift David, aka 2Baba, a wanted leader of the Iceland cult group, who is the prime suspect in the killing of late Ahoada Divisional Police Officer (DPO), SP Bako Angbashim back in September, 2023.
The late DPO, SP Amgbashim was reportedly killed and beheaded by members of the Iceland cult group led by Mr ‘2Baba” with his private parts cut off during a raid on the criminals’ hideout in Odiemudie forest in Ahoada East local government area of the State.
The incident angered the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara who declared Mr. Gift David (aka 2Baba) and members of his gang wanted with a bounty of one hundred million naira (N100m) placed on him.
But the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Operations, Olubenga Adepoju told Journalists in Port Harcourt on Thursday that operatives of the command were closing in on the hoodlums.
Adepoju made the disclosure while handing over four 20Kv generator the Police recovered from 2Baba’s hideout which he seized from a company for not paying him twenty million naira ‘matching ground’ fee an illegal levy imposed on persons or organizations by cultists.
He said, “I am here representing Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu today to handover some (4) perkins generator, that were recovered by our tactical teams seized by the notorious most wanted criminal in the state, David Gift, aka 2Baba and his gang who killed SP Bako Angbashim, DPO of Ahoada Police Division some months back.
“These generators were intercepted by him some months ago while going to a location to be used by the company at Odiemude community in Ahoada East Local Government Area. He seized it and was demanding 20 million naira for the generators, that is, five million naira for each generator before it can be released to the company .
“While we were on search for him, we were able to storm on the generator where he kept them. Our men tactically cordoned off the place and recovered the generators.
“We have the generators here with us and we want to present it to the company. I don’t want to mention the name of the company for security reasons, they are here with us now. This is one of our achievements. We are still on his trail and by the grace of God we will get him.
“Criminals should know that Rivers state is not a place for them to stay. They should advice themselves if not we give them the chase they deserve.
“We are warning every other person who want to bring criminality to the system back while urging anyone whose property this people are still with to report officially to the command so we do the needful”.
One of the representatives of the company in an interview with Journalists thanked the Police for their efforts in recovering the generators
He said “I want to seize this opportunity to thank the Rivers state Police Command for this feat.This generators were confiscated some months ago and all efforts to recovered it failed and we reported to the Police.
“They did a very fantastic job even sacrificing their own men to recover our assets and also handing it over to us peacefully without any string attached.This is something that is commendable .I have known the CP for a long time he is a good Police officer with a lot of respect accorded to him”.
