Police arrest two suspected criminals linked to kidnapping, recover fake gun in Yobe

Operatives of the Yobe State Police Command have arrested two suspected criminals allegedly linked to kidnapping, armed robbery, cattle rustling and other organised crimes in separate intelligence-led operations.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday.

According to the statement, operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), acting on credible intelligence, arrested 19-year-old Kollo Kashim of Sabon Garin Guba in Bursari Local Government Area on July 15, 2026.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Kashim allegedly conspired with two accomplices, identified as Modu Bayama and Ba’ani Mallah, who remain at large, to terrorise herders by posing as Boko Haram terrorists.

“The suspects reportedly armed themselves with a wooden makeshift gun, carried a paper bearing Arabic inscriptions, and demanded illegal levies from herders while pretending to be insurgents,” the statement said.

Police said the suspects extorted a total of N253,000 from four different victims.

Items recovered from Kashim include a wooden makeshift gun, a paper containing Arabic inscriptions, and N36,000, believed to be part of the proceeds of the crime.

“The investigation is ongoing to apprehend the fleeing accomplices and recover additional exhibits,” the statement added.

In a separate operation, VCRU operatives arrested 22-year-old Hussaini Umar, a native of Kahere in Kumo Local Government Area of Gombe State, in possession of a fabricated revolver.

According to the police, Umar confessed during interrogation to participating in a series of kidnapping and cattle rustling operations carried out by a criminal syndicate operating in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The command said the suspect has been transferred to the Plateau State Police Command for further investigation, prosecution and coordinated efforts to arrest other members of the syndicate.