Port Harcourt — Police in Rivers State have killed four suspected kidnappers in Odemudie forest, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The police had stormed the Odemudie forest in search of the remains of the Divisional Police Officer of Ahoada Division, Bako Angbashim, a Superintendent of Police, who was killed by cultists terrorizing Ahoada communities.

The state Commissioner of Police, Nwonyi Emeka, who disclosed, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, while addressing newsmen, said police operatives had stormed the Odemudie forest based on reliable information that the cultists that killed Angbashim were hiding in the area.

Emeka, who was reading out recent achievements of the command, noted that the cultists had engaged the police operatives in crossfire and that the four cultists were fatally wounded while many others escaped the scene.

He said: "On September 10, 2023 about 1030hrs, actionable intelligence revealed that a gang of notorious Iceland cultists, armed robbery suspects and kidnappers led by one Gift David Okpara Okpolonwo, aka 2-baba, who led his notorious gang to brutally murder SP Bako Angbashim, DPO Ahoada on September 8, 2023, were in their hideout at Odemude Forest, Ahoada-East Local Government Area.

"Following the information, a combined team of Command Tactical Operatives and Area Commander Ahoada, stormed the forest in an effort to arrest the notorious hoodlums and possible recovery of the corpse of the late officer.

"The hoodlums who were battle ready, immediately engaged the operatives in fierce gun battle, during which four of the notorious hoodlums, who are yet to be identified, sustained fatal gunshot injuries while others escaped into the forest, three suspects were arrested and a locally made pistol recovered from them.

"Meanwhile, the four notorious suspected criminals, who sustained serious injuries were rushed to the UPTH for medical attention but were confirmed dead by the doctor on duty."