IGP noted that although the Air Force did not directly eliminate 2Baba, its air strikes enabled the police to end his reign of terror.
By Kehinde Okeowo
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has narrated how collaboration between the Nigerian Air Force and his officers led to the elimination of a notorious criminal in Rivers State, Gift Okpara, better known as 2Baba.
He made this known on Wednesday while receiving the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking earlier at the meeting, which was aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two forces, the Chief of the Air Staff commended the long-standing professional relationship between both institutions and acknowledged the support of the NPF Air Wing to the Nigerian Air Force.
In response, the IGP highlighted the need for enhanced protection of critical national infrastructure, improved logistics and response capabilities, and regular reviews of joint operational engagements to ensure greater effectiveness.
Stressing the need for sustained collaboration—particularly in joint operations, intelligence sharing, and enhanced air support for police operations—Disu recounted how the Air Force aided in ending 2Baba’s reign of terror.
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Addressing the Chief of the Air Staff, the IGP said: “You mentioned that the Nigeria Police assisted you at a particular time during a crisis. It is their duty to do that.
“We do almost the same work, though at different levels. I want to mention that when I was the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, a particular police officer was killed by a criminal known as 2Baba.
“They killed the policeman, cut him to pieces, spread the body parts around, posted images on social media, and fled into the thickest part of the bush.
“They were very strategic about it. They chose a dense area of the forest as their hideout. Before you could reach them, you needed to cross two rivers. The moment you attempted to cross, they picked you off. They chose a very difficult terrain.
“We gathered extensive intelligence on them and approached the Nigerian Air Force. They told us they were surprised by how much intelligence we had obtained. They reviewed it, worked on it independently, and came back to us with feedback. That was actually the biggest task.
“They conducted reconnaissance over the area. We were able to identify them moving around, and they informed us of the date they would strike. And behold, the Nigerian Air Force struck. Although 2Baba was not killed in that operation, they [the criminals] lost about five of their men, causing disarray in their camp.
“From that moment, they could not stop looking up at the sky. They were terrified, which gave us the opportunity to strike, assault their camp, and eventually kill 2Baba and arrest the others. I will continue to thank the Nigerian Air Force for its support.
“We will continue to explore ways of working together.”
Meanwhile, key areas of discussion during the Chief of the Air Staff’s visit included aerial surveillance and reconnaissance, tactical deployment, medical evacuation, joint training, and improved operational coordination in confronting terrorism, banditry, insurgency, and other violent crimes.
