A court in southern Nigeria has sentenced four people to death for the murder of a senior police officer in Rivers State.
The High Court in Port Harcourt found the defendants guilty of killing Bako Angbashim, a divisional police officer (DPO) in Ahoada East, who was killed during an ambush in September 2023.
Delivering the judgment, Justice Sika Aprioku ruled that prosecutors had proven their case beyond reasonable doubt. The court convicted Robinson Sonabari, Bright Okparawo, Precious Amaeze (also known as Selina), and Loveday Jack, popularly called Ragged Excess, on charges including conspiracy, murder, robbery and membership of a secret cult group.
The judge said evidence presented during the trial showed that Mr Sonabari, identified as a native doctor, prepared a charm allegedly used in the killing of the police officer.
The four were sentenced to death by hanging.
A sixth defendant, Samuel Nwadinma, was sentenced to three years in prison for conspiracy, while another accused person was discharged and acquitted of all charges.
Recall that Mr Angbashim, who held the rank of superintendent of police, was killed when his team was ambushed while returning from an operation in Rivers State.
Following the killing, the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, announced a 100 million naira reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible, including a gang leader known as Gift Okpara, also called 2Baba.
Police later raided a camp linked to the gang in February 2024. Although suspects initially escaped during a gun battle, police said intelligence reports later confirmed that 2Baba died after collapsing while on the run.
Reacting to the verdict, lead prosecutor Chigozie Amadi from the Rivers State Ministry of Justice praised the court’s handling of the case, describing the judgment as a clear demonstration that justice had been served.
