The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has recalled how the Nigerian Air Force assisted the Nigeria Police Force in bringing down a notorious criminal in Rivers State known as 2Baba.
The IGP spoke on Wednesday when he received the Chief of the Air Staff, Nigerian Air Force, Air Marshal S.K. Aneke, on a courtesy visit to the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit was aimed at strengthening cooperation between the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Air Force in addressing evolving security challenges.
Speaking earlier, the Chief of the Air Staff commended the longstanding professional relationship between both institutions and acknowledged the support of the NPF Air Wing to the Nigerian Air Force.
He emphasised the need for sustained collaboration, particularly in joint operations, intelligence sharing and enhanced air support for police operations.
Key areas discussed included aerial surveillance and reconnaissance, tactical deployment, medical evacuation, joint training and improved operational coordination in confronting terrorism, banditry, insurgency and other violent crimes.
The IGP further highlighted the need for enhanced protection of critical national infrastructure, improved logistics and response capabilities, as well as regular reviews of joint operational engagements to ensure greater effectiveness.
The IGP, addressing the Chief of the Air Staff, 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, showed them on social media and ran into the thickest parts of the bush.
“And they were very strategic about it. They chose a dense area of the forest as their habitat. Before you could get to where they were, you needed to cross two rivers. So, you were in the middle of it. The moment you attempted to cross the river, they were picking you off. So, they chose a very difficult terrain.
“We did a lot of intelligence gathering on them and approached the Nigerian Air Force. They told us they were surprised at how we got that amount of intelligence. They looked at it, worked on it on their own and came back to us with feedback. That was actually the biggest job.
“They did their reconnaissance over the place. We were able to identify them moving around the area, and they told us the day they would strike. And behold, the Nigerian Air Force struck. Though 2Baba was not killed in that operation, they [the criminals] lost about five of their men, and it caused disarray in their camp.
“From that moment, they could not stop looking into the sky. They were frightened, and it gave us the opportunity to strike them and assault their camp, which eventually led to the death of 2Baba and the arrest of the others. I will continue to thank the Nigerian Air Force for its support.
“We are going to explore ways of working together.”
IGP narrates how Air Force strike paved way for ‘2Baba’s death’