The Rivers State Police Command on Monday confirmed the death of a wanted cult leader, Gift Okpara aka 2 Baba, who was declared the prime suspect in the gruesome murder of the Divisional Police Officer of Ahoada Division, Bako Angbashim, in September last year.
Angbashim was ambushed, captured in Odiemudie community in Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state, by the cult gang who dismembered his body and filmed it.
Since the death of the gallant cop, the command has been on Okpara’s trail, with constant land and air bombardments and in the various hideouts of the Iceland cult leader, even as some of his lieutenants were reportedly gunned down.
But the spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, in a statement on Monday, said intelligence reports revealed that the wanted cultist was killed in a recent joint security raid in Idu-Ekpeye community, Ahoada East LGA
Irinke-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, also said a human skull, assorted rifles, explosives, and various charms amongst others were recovered during the last raid in his new hideout which culminated in his death.
The statement read, “On February 17, 2024, at around 12:00hrs, 2BABA and his gang attacked Okogbe town and Odiokwu community in Ahoda West LGA, destroying pipelines.
“At 04:00hrs, operatives raided 2BABA’s new camp. Despite a fierce gun battle, 2BABA and his gang members escaped.
“However, at around 14:00hrs, intelligence confirmed 2BABA’s death after he lost consciousness and resuscitation attempts failed.
The police said efforts were in progress to retrieve the body of the suspected killer, while investigations into the Iceland cult’s activities in the region would continue.
“The Rivers State Police Command remains resolute in its duty to protect the lives and property of the citizens, and it will continue to employ all necessary resources and strategies to ensure a safe and secure environment for all,” it concluded.
The statement listed items recovered from the camp to include one AK47 rifle, one G3 rifle, one scorpion rifle, one double-barrelled locally made gun, and two locally made pistols.
Other were one cut-to-size double-barrelled gun, one bulletproof vest, 13 pieces of dynamites, five rounds of .9mm live ammunition, 10 army camouflages, 11 assorted charms, one human skull and one jack knife.
Meanwhile, there has been reported jubilation in the Ahoada area of the state following the killing of the infamous cult leader whom they said kept terrorising communities in the area and demanding various sums of money from households with severe negative threats for those who didn’t give in to his demands.