…Arrest 1 suspect
…Confirm 2 killed, 4 abducted in Pindiga community attack
By Yahaya Umar, Abuja
Police command in Gombe State has arrested a 19-year-old casual watchman, Shuaibu Adamu, for allegedly killing a fellow casual worker at Government House.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, confirmed the arrest in a press statement issued in Gombe at the weekend.
Abdullahi said police received a distress call at about 3.50 p.m. on Friday reporting a suspected culpable homicide within the Government House premises.
“The report stated that a male adult, Mallam Umar, a borehole operator, was found lying motionless within the premises.
“Preliminary findings showed his trousers were tied around his neck, while a local intoxicant, popularly called rubber solution, was found in his mouth.
“He was rushed to the Specialist Hospital, Gombe, where a doctor confirmed him dead. His body was deposited at the mortuary for an autopsy”, he said.
Abdullahi said the Commissioner of Police, Umar Chuso, visited the scene and ordered a thorough investigation into the incident.
He said CCTV footage revealed Adamu, also known as “Yaya Mama”, assaulting the deceased shortly before his death, before fleeing the scene.
“A follow-up operation at about 11: p.m. on Friday led to his arrest at Bagadaza Quarters, Gombe”, Abdullahi said.
He added that the suspect confessed during preliminary interrogation and would remain in custody pending completion of investigations and prosecution.
“The command reassures the public of its commitment to justice and safety around government facilities”, Abdullahi said.
In another development Police Command in Gombe State has said gunmen killed two persons and kidnapped four in an attack on Pindiga Community in Akko Local Government Area of the state.
The Command’s Spokesperson, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, in a statement issued in Abuja, yesterday, said the attack happened at 3.30 a.m. on Sunday morning.
Abdullahi stated that unidentified armed men invaded the residence of the victims along Pindiga–Kashere Road, where they shot 31-year-old Yusuf Mohammed and 28-year-old Faiza Mohammed while abducting 16-year-old Zainab Mohammed Yusuf, all of the same address.
He said that the gunmen further proceeded to the residence of one Alhaji Yayaji Abdullahi, where they abducted his wife and two children.
Abdullahi said that the two gunshot victims were immediately rushed to the Cottage Hospital, Pindiga, where they were confirmed dead by a medical doctor.
He said following this development, tactical and intelligence-led operations had been intensified in the area.
“Consequently, hunters and local vigilante groups were mobilised, while concerted efforts are ongoing to rescue the abducted victims and apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous crime”.
In a related development, Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has condemned the murder, describing the attack as barbaric, cruel and utterly unacceptable.
According to him, the killing of innocent citizens in their homes, alongside the abduction of women and children, is a heinous crime that deeply offends humanity and challenges the peace and security Gombe State has worked hard to sustain.
“This dastardly act is a direct assault on our collective conscience and a painful test of our resolve to protect lives and property.
“The Government and people of Gombe State share in the grief and anguish of the affected families and the entire Pindiga community”, he stated.
The Governor assured that the crime would not go unchecked, disclosing that the Nigeria Police and other security agencies had commenced intensive investigations into the killings and abductions.
The Governor directed that all necessary resources be deployed to track down the perpetrators, rescue the abducted victims unharmed, and bring all those involved to justice.
