Ishola Michael, Author at Tribune Online

The Gombe State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of seven suspects for various criminal offenses as part of its efforts to combat crime and protect the lives and property of innocent citizens. The Command's Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Buhari Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Gombe. He revealed that the arrests were linked to armed robbery, motorcycle theft, and other criminal activities. The PPRO stated that two individuals were arrested for criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, and attempted culpable homicide. The suspects were identified as Daniel Hamma, 36, of Wuro-Juli Quarters, and Garba Usman, also known as Mali, 32, of Gona Village, Akko Local Government Area (LGA). According to Abdullahi, "On March 26, 2025, at about 22:30 hours, a distress call was received reporting an armed robbery incident near the High Court Complex on Bypass Road, Gombe. The robbers blocked the road, attacked, and inflicted serious injuries on Hamza Billa, 28, of Kundulum Quarters, Akko LGA, before snatching his red Boxer motorcycle." Upon receiving the report, a police patrol team led by DCO Pantami, SP Alhaji Isah Dabo, was dispatched to the scene and took the victim to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, for medical attention. The suspects were tracked, pursued, and arrested along Bypass Highway, and the stolen red Boxer motorcycle with registration number AKK 413VC was recovered from them. ALSO READ:NANS condemns gruesome killing of travellers in Edo During the course of the investigation, a search conducted at the suspects' residences led to the recovery of another Boxer motorcycle with blood stains, motorcycle spare parts, two motorcycle number plates, and some police accouterments from the house of the second suspect, Garba Usman. Upon interrogation, the suspects confessed to being responsible for the March 1, 2025, armed robbery, culpable homicide, and motorcycle theft recorded at the same spot where the victim was killed. One of the recovered number plates matched the victim's stolen motorcycle. The investigation is ongoing, with the suspects admitting to being involved in the killing, maiming, and robbery of approximately five victims and their motorcycles. In a separate operation, Abubakar Mohammed of Lafia-Talle Village, Dukku LGA, was arrested for attempting theft and being in possession of an unregistered motorcycle suspected to have been stolen. He was found with a fabricated master key at Kurugu Market, Malam-Sidi, Kwami LGA, on March 26, 2025. During interrogation, he confessed to being an expert in motorcycle theft. Meanwhile, arms and ammunition were recovered from Gambo Isah of Jaja Village, Kumo, Akko LGA. Acting on credible intelligence on March 28, 2025, the Anti-Violence Squad, with members of the Professional Hunters Group, raided the suspect’s residence. Upon sighting the operatives, Isah attempted to engage them with an AK-47 rifle. In the ensuing gun duel, he was shot in the left leg and later pronounced dead at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe. Items recovered included one AK-47 rifle, five rounds of 7.6mm live ammunition, and one Bajaj Boxer motorcycle. The Command commended members of the public for promptly reporting incidents and urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the nearest police station.