Late Gift Okpara alias 2Baba
THE end of the road for a notorious cult leader, Gift Okpara, a.k.a ‘2Baba’ who was killed in a joint security operation on Monday in Embrass community, Ahaoda West Local Government Area of Rivers State was confirmed on Friday as the police retrieved his decomposing body.
The wanted Iceland cult leader, whose corpse was displayed at the headquarters of the Nigeria Police, on Friday was the prime suspect in the murder of a former Divisional Police Officer of Ahoada Division, Bako Angbashim, in Odiemudie community, Ahoada East on September 8, 2023.
Angbashim was ambushed, killed and his body dismembered by the 2Baba-led dreaded gang that also filmed the act before escaping with his decapitated body.
This prompted the police to be on their trail of the prime suspect and his gang members.
But speaking in Port Harcourt on Friday, the Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, explained how the corpse was discovered and exhumed in a shallow grave where his men had buried it.
A mild drama ensued when 2Baba’s body was brought to the headquarters of the police command along Moscow Road with a white Hilux vehicle at about 11:07 am on Friday as scores of policemen at the command, visitors, and newsmen gathered to catch a glimpse of the terror whose body was already decomposing.
Disu said, “On Friday, February 23, 2024, based on credible information, our tactical operatives successfully located the shallow grave of Gift Okpara, also known as 2Baba, a notorious Iceland cult leader in Ebrass, Ahoada West, Rivers State. We were able to recover the corpse of 2Baba, who was responsible for the brutal murder of the former DPO of Ahaoda Division, the late SP Bako Angbashim, who was killed on September 8, 2023, in Odumude community, Ahaoda East Local Government Area.
“After 2Baba died, members of his gang went away with his body. And they were moving from one part of Ahoada East to the other evading arrest. Finally, because we kept the place cordoned, they were not able to move out of that area so they had no choice other than to take him further into the Ebrass forest in Ahoada West.
“They took him far inside the Ebrass Forest, dug a shallow grave, and buried him there. It took us time, work, and intelligence to be able to locate the place. He (his body) was found in the grave.
“Yesterday (Thursday) at about 7 pm, our officers finally had access to where the body was buried. They found the place with no grass on it, and identified it immediately.”
The commissioner further explained that loyalists of the deceased cult leader performed a ritual before burying him, hung a military camouflage on the graveside possibly as a mark of respect, and fled.
“They (cultists) put some bottles of alcoholic drink on it (the grave); maybe they used it for some rituals before they left. They left an army camouflage on the burial site, making it very easy for us to identify at the end of the day.
“It took officers over one hour to access the area and over another one hour to come out of the forest. The press (media) put us on our toes; you asked questions every second and talked about it on your respective media platforms. The question you asked me every time was: Where is 2Baba? I think today we have been able to put it to rest,” he said.
Disu commended the Nigerian Air Force for its support, including its aerial strike on 2baba’s camp on February 10, 2024, which resulted in significant casualties in the gang and facilitated subsequent operations of the police.
He also thanked the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for his support and invaluable advice throughout the operation.
“The Air Force came and assisted to soften the ground and made it easy for the police component to have access into 2Baba’s camp. Furthermore, the Rivers State Police Command acknowledges and thanks the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fabura, for his unwavering support throughout this operation. His commitment to maintaining law and order in our state is commendable.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of Ahoada West, Ben Eke, who identified the corpse of the notorious cult leader, commended the police for the feat.
“To the best of my knowledge, this is 2Baba. From the photographs, from the tattoo on his left hand and the photographs we have been seeing, this is 2Baba. My people are happy. At least businesses can now thrive, everybody is happy.”
PUNCH
