Photo file of late DPO, Bako Angbashin.
Talking from his hiding place, Gift Okpara, the main suspect in the death of Rivers Divisional Police Officer Bako Angbashin of Ahoada East Local Government Area, has spoken.
Known by his stage name General 2-Baba, the infamous cultist denied any involvement in the crime in a voice message broadcast on a well-known radio station on Monday morning (92.3, Nigeria Info, Port Harcourt).
Not only did the wanted leader of the Iceland cult gang reveal why his group took up arms after receiving amnesty from the previous government, but he also claimed to have spoken with the deceased DPO just hours before he passed away.
He stated, “I want to tell the Rivers State Government that I am not involved in anything concerning the death of DPO. I didn’t want to say anything all this while. But I decided to speak out because of the way people were talking about it.
“I was surprised and I want to tell people that I was not after the DPO and I’m not involved in his death. It is just that the incident happened on my community road. And the day it (killing) occurred I spoke with him. I and the DPO discussed this.
“I was not even there when he was killed that day and I was shocked when I heard about the incident.”
He claimed that after his group turned in their weapons and was granted amnesty, he went back to crime because a rival gang had refused to submit and was murdering his members, including his younger brother. He further pointed out that the government had done nothing to stop them.
“We submitted all the arms and ammunition we have, but our opposition refused to submit. And I saw that the government didn’t do anything about it. So my gang started regretting our decision to submit our arms.
“So since we no longer have weapons, our rivals now used the advantage to trail us and kill members of my gang. They killed my younger brother of the same parents and burnt our house. That was my annoyance and that was why I went back to gunplay (crime),” he said.
The suspect denied any involvement in kidnapping, illegal bunkering, or other related crimes, citing his involvement in the dredging business. Instead, he now represents himself as a freedom fighter for the youths of Ekpeye, or communities in his region.
“I didn’t pick up arms again with the intention of intimidating people and causing problems,” claims Okpara. I was not interested in kidnapping, illegal bunkering, or any other criminal activity, as everyone knows.
“I’ve just been focusing on my business. And everyone knows that I was only involved in dredging. That’s exactly what I do,” he continued, clarifying that he wasn’t financially supported by a traditional ruler as some had claimed.