Gombe police nab eight suspected robbers, fraudsters

The Gombe State Police Command has apprehended eight individuals suspected of operating as a criminal syndicate engaged in armed robbery and sophisticated internet fraud. The arrests followed an investigation into a robbery incident reported on June 7, 2026, in Wuro Birji, Akko Local Government Area.

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Acting on credible intelligence and following painstaking technical analysis of the fraudulent transactions, operatives successfully traced one transaction to a Moniepoint account, which led to the arrest of the first suspect, Mustapha Kabiru, alias ‘Musty Bobo,’ a 19-year-old ND II Computer Science student of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaltungo.

Victims Hassan Muhammad and Jibril Hassan reported that armed assailants invaded their homes, stealing mobile phones. The syndicate then exploited information from these devices to gain unauthorized access to the victims' bank accounts. In one instance, they fraudulently withdrew N296,790 from a GTBank account and obtained and withdrew a Quick Loan of N205,205, totaling over N500,000 stolen from a single victim.

Acting on intelligence and technical analysis, police traced a transaction to a Moniepoint account, leading to the arrest of the first suspect, 19-year-old Mustapha Kabiru, a computer science student at the Federal Polytechnic, Kaltungo. Kabiru confessed to using stolen phone data for fraudulent transactions, and his confession facilitated the arrest of seven other suspects.

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His confession subsequently led to the arrest of seven additional suspects.

Further investigation suggests the syndicate is responsible for at least 13 similar criminal incidents across communities including Wuro Birji, Riyal, Bomala, and Jauro Jatau. The police are intensifying efforts to locate and arrest any remaining members of the group. The Commissioner of Police, Umar Ahmed Chuso, commended the operatives and reiterated the command's commitment to combating crime.

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The command remains unwavering in its commitment to tackling all forms of criminality, including cybercrime and violent offences. Members of the public are urged to remain vigilant, adequately secure their personal information and digital devices, and promptly report any suspicious activities to the nearest police station.