Bako Angbashim
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Security operatives, on Monday, arrested the King of Akoh Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Eze Ikegbidi, following the murder of the Ahoada Divisional Police Officer, Bako Angbashim, by suspected cultists last Friday.
The slain DPO was ambushed and captured by gunmen while returning from an operation in Odiemere community, Ahoada East, and decapitated.
Meanwhile, the arrest of Ikegbidi came on the heels of an indefinite suspension slammed on him by the state Governor, Siminilayi Fubara.
The governor, in a statement, had accused the monarch of “ceding control of his territory to the notorious David Gift and his gang to freely operate and carry out their criminal activities.”
Fubara stated, “Thirdly, His Majesty, Eze Cassidy Ikegbidi Eze Igbu Akoh II, is hereby suspended indefinitely for acts of complicity in ceding control of his territory to the notorious David Gift and his gang to freely operate and carry out their criminal activities.”
Though it was not clear if the monarch was arrested by the police or men of the Department of State Services, a top security source confirmed his arrest to our correspondent on Monday.
It was gathered that he was later handed over to the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department in Port Harcourt for interrogation.
The source further said that, as part of the investigation, Ikegbidi was taken to his Port Harcourt residence and later to his palace in the Ihugbogo community.
When contacted, the state Commissioner of Police, Emeka Nwonyi, said he was asleep and could not respond to our correspondent at the time he called him on Monday night.
But the source said, “Yes, he was arrested and he is being interrogated. That is the much I can say for now.”
Meanwhile, three persons are feared killed in the Odiemere community, Ahoada East Local Government Area, during a search for the killers of SP Angbashim.
A source in the community who pleaded anonymity for fear of being identified said the trio killed were not cultists.
On how they were killed, he said the young men took to their heels on sighting fierce-looking operatives and were shot.
He said while one of the victims died on the spot, the remaining two were rushed to the hospital for treatment but did not make it
“The security men killed three people in Odiemere. The boys saw the security men and started running.
“So the security men shot them. One of them died there while the other two died at the hospital. Since our community is empty, nobody is there,” the source stated.
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