Fatimah Yusuf
The Gombe State Police Command has dismantled a major kidnap syndicate operating across the state, arresting seven suspects, neutralising two others, and recovering a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) in a series of coordinated operations.
Police spokesperson DSP Buhari Abdullahi, who confirmed the development in a statement on Friday, said the breakthrough followed intensified intelligence-led efforts jointly executed with the Gombe State Professional Hunters Association.
According to Abdullahi, the operation began on November 23, 2025, around 4:00 a.m., after the Command received credible intelligence from a Good Samaritan implicating one Abdullahi Ibrahim, 40, of Tilde Village, Funakaye LGA, in harbouring suspected kidnappers and cattle rustlers.
Ibrahim was arrested immediately and, during interrogation, reportedly confessed to involvement in cattle rustling and multiple kidnapping operations across Gombe communities.
The Police Command said subsequent follow-up raids led to the arrest of six additional suspects and the neutralisation of two gang members who attempted to engage security operatives in a shootout.
A GPMG, believed to have been used in several attacks across the state, was recovered during the operation, alongside other incriminating items.
The Command assured residents that investigations are ongoing and additional arrests are expected as security agencies intensify efforts to dismantle criminal networks across Gombe.
