*Pregnant wife, kids in shock* IG
promotes policeman after death
Sergeant Felix Igbasan, attached to the
Inspector-General of Police, (IGP) Mr. Ibrahim Idris’s Special Intelligence
Response Squad (IRT), has battled a lot of armed robbers and kidnappers in his
life time.
He had been shot at several times,
but had always come out of battle with armed robbers unscathed. It was his
ability to always come out of battleground unhurt, that earned him the
nickname, ‘cat with nine lives,’ among his colleagues.
But on November 13, 2016, Igbasan,
the cat, was finally felled by robbers’ bullet.
His death sent shock waves down the
spines of his team members and policemen that had worked with him.
When the news of his demise was
broken, his immediate boss, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Mr. Abba
Kyari, was said to have broken down and wept like his heart was breaking.
It was gathered that when Idris was
told about the sudden and unfortunate death of Igbasan, whose wife is heavily
pregnant, the IG had locked himself inside his office to mourn.
Although, most of the policemen
working in the IRT were carefully handpicked because of their brains, bravado
and gallantry, Igbasan was placed among the best.
Igbasan, with Force Number, 398076
SGT died at Maitama General Hospital, Abuja, after being shot by armed robbers.
Doctors said that he died from gunshot complication.
A close colleague, who didn’t want
his name mentioned, said: “He was getting better before he suddenly developed
heart problem, emanating from blood clot.”
A police source said: “Felix died after
sustaining gunshot wound from armed robbers. He was attacked at Mpape Junction,
Abuja, by a gang of armed robbers. He
lost his life when he and his colleagues engaged the armed robbers in a gun
duel. These robbers had been terrorizing Abuja, Kogi, Kano, Benue and Kaduna states
for long. Igbasan was killed in the line of duty.”
Igbasan’s journey to the great
beyond started on November. Igbasan, one of the bravest and best IRT policemen,
was admitted into Maitama General Hospital, Abuja.
He died at about 4am on November 13.
He sustained bullet wounds on October 1,
during a fierce gun battle with armed robbers. The robbers attacked and robbed a
senior Immigration Officer in Abuja.
The gang was led by one Gabriel Alfa
and seven others. The gang members were later arrested by IRT operatives. The
operatives recovered four AK47 rifles, operational vehicle and General Purpose
Machine guns from the gang.
“The contributions of Felix in this
very operation and several high risk operations in Lagos SARS and IRT are too numerous
to mention. Eight, among the gang of robbers were arrested. The police
recovered four Ak47 rifles, with 11 fully loaded magazines from the gang,” said
a police source.
It was learned that
the IRT operatives trailed the gang members to their hideout in Lugbe area
of Abuja, but Igbasan wasn’t lucky as he sustained bullets wounds during an
exchange of gunfire with the gang.
A heroic burial was given to him on
November 24, at his home town, Ode-Aye Town in Okitipupa Local Government Area
of Ondo State.
When guests and friends, sighted his
pregnant wife and three children, they started weeping. His aged mother and
siblings were inconsolable.
Igbasan was described by his
colleagues as a gallant police officer who has taken part in several high risk
operations within the country. He was said to be instrumental in tracking and
arresting some notorious gangs of armed robbers and kidnappers in the country.
Igbasan, who has won several awards,
including the Inspector-General of Police Award of Courage and the Lagos State Governor’s
Award for Excellence, while he was attached to Lagos State Police Command
Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, was also instrumental in the arrest of the
notorious and feared armed robber called Abiodun Ogunjobi, aka Godogo.
Godogo terrified the entire south western part
of the country, killing over 50 policemen in his 10 year reign of terror.
According to the police authorities,
Igbasan was transferred to IRT, which is made of elite operatives specially trained
to combat armed robbery, kidnappers and terrorism across the country, from the
Lagos State Police Command.
While addressing members of
Igbasan’s family at the burial ceremony, Kyari said that the deceased’s death
was a big loss to the Nigerian Police Force. Kyari said that the late Igbasan
was dedicated and hardworking and desired a society free of crime and
criminals.
Kyari also disclosed that the IGP
has given Igbasan a post mortem promotion to the rank of an Inspector of Police,
due to his dedication and service to Nigeria and the Force.
Igbasan enlisted into the Nigeria
Police Force on November 1, 2003. He received training at Police College Ikeja.
He was posted to Lagos State Police Command and was attached to the Special
Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
He served meritoriously in Lagos
SARS and participated in several operations, in which many deadly armed robbers
were arrested and several General Purpose Machine guns and Rocket launchers
were recovered.
He also participated in the arrest
of several kidnappers and rescue of many abducted victims.
When Igbasan and his colleagues
nailed Godogodo at Ibadan, Oyo State, with some of his gang members, 42 Ak47
rifles and thousands of lives ammunition were recovered.
The deceased was also among a crack
team of policemen that arrested a gang of robbers that attack Muritala Mohammed
International Airport on February 13, 2013.
In that operation, a policeman was
killed and several injured. At least, N600m was carted away in the operation.
The police recovered a GPMG and five Ak47 rifles from the robbers.
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