Gombe Police arrest seven over kidnapping, cattle rustling

Seven suspected members of a kidnapping and cattle-rustling syndicate have been arrested by the Gombe State Police Command, following a coordinated security operation across several hideouts in the state.

The command’s spokesperson, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, confirmed the arrests in a statement issued on Friday, noting that operatives acted on credible intelligence that linked the suspects to a notorious interstate criminal network operating across Gombe, Bauchi, Yobe and Adamawa states.

According to Abdullahi, the breakthrough followed the arrest of a 40-year-old suspect on November 23, after intelligence revealed that he and his associates were providing safe haven for kidnappers and rustlers.

“Acting on intelligence, operatives of Operation Hattara, working closely with the Gombe State Professional Hunters Association, stormed identified criminal camps,” he said.

He added that the security team engaged the gang in a fierce gun duel, leading to the arrest of six additional suspects, while two members of the syndicate were neutralised during the confrontation.

Items recovered include one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) and eight rounds of live ammunition. The bodies of the deceased suspects have been deposited at the mortuary of the Specialist Hospital, Gombe.

Preliminary findings, according to the police, indicate that the gang had been involved in multiple kidnappings and had collected an estimated N160 million in ransom payments over time.

Abdullahi said the suspects would be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations, while urging residents to continue supporting the police with useful information.

He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state.