A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has convicted and sentenced four persons to death by hanging over the killing of the former Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ahoada East Police Division, SP Bako Angbashim.
The trial judge, Justice Sika Aprioku, found the four defendants guilty of conspiracy, murder, membership of a secret cult group and armed robbery. They were subsequently sentenced to death by hanging.
The convicts are Robinson Sonabari, Bright Okparawo, Precious Amaeze, also known as Selina, and Loveday Jack, popularly called Ragged Excess.
In the same judgment, the court convicted the sixth defendant, Samuel Nwadinma, and sentenced him to three years’ imprisonment for conspiracy. However, the third accused person was discharged and acquitted of the four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, murder, cultism and robbery.
SP Angbashim who hails from Nasarawa State was killed in September 2023 when his team was ambushed while returning from an operation in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Following the incident, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, placed a ₦100 million bounty on Gift Okpara, popularly known as 2Baba, and members of his gang over the murder.
The Rivers State Police Command had earlier announced the arrest of suspected cultists linked to the killing as investigations intensified.
The judgment brings to a close one of the most high-profile criminal trials arising from the violent attack that claimed the life of the senior police officer and sparked widespread outrage across the state and the nation at large.