A 19-year-old woman of Ishehi Hamlet in Misau Local Government Area of Bauchi State has been arrested by the police for allegedly stealing a newborn baby.
The suspect, Hajara Usman, was said to have stolen the infant after conspiring with an 18-year-old man, Ibrahim Usman, of Dugurgama Hamlet.
The Bauchi State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil, stated this in a statement made available to journalists in the state on Thursday.
He said that a resident of the Galawa Area of Akuyam District in the Misau LGA reported the incident at Akuyam Police outstation that his daughter’s newborn baby was stolen at about 4: 30 am.
Wakil said, “On July 25th, 2023 at about 7: 00 am, one Adamu Baka (55) of Galawa area, Akuyam district of Misau local government area, reported at Akuyam outstation at about 4. at 30am, unknown persons intruded into his daughter’s apartment who recently gave birth and carted away with the newly born baby.
“Upon receiving the report, a team of detectives was immediately mobilized and earnestly swung into action and eventually arrested the hoodlums.
“The stolen baby was recovered from one Hajara Usman, female (19) of Ishehi Hamlet who conspired with one Ibrahim Usman, male (18) of Dugurgama Hamlet to steal the baby.”
He said that investigation was still ongoing to unravel the hidden motives behind the incident adding that the suspects would be profiled and charged to court for the established offences at the end of the investigation.
Meanwhile, Wakil further said that the command’s detectives recovered a sack containing an AK-47 rifle with six rounds of live ammunition which was abandoned by an unknown person after sighting security agencies.
“On July 23rd, 2023 at about 21.30 pm, the Command’s detectives attached to Tulu Divisional Police Headquarters acted on credible intelligence from the village head of Sabon Garin Tulu that a suspected unknown person was sighted around the area.
“A team of detectives moved to the scene but the suspected person, on sighting the Policemen, took to his heels to an unknown destination.
“He abandoned his sack containing one AK-47 rifle alongside one magazine with six (6) rounds of live ammunition recovered.
“Investigation has been ignited and collaborative efforts are being intensified to arrest the fleeing suspect,” he stated.
According to him, the commissioner of police tasked all the Command’s operatives to “consolidate maximally on intelligence gathering which is the crux and fulcrum of modern policing.”
He said that the Commissioner equally stressed the important roles of community engagement and traditional intelligence gathering with a charge to all officers to employ such machinery in their daily police duties.
Also in Bauchi State, gunmen suspected to be bandits have killed seven people in Gara and Gamji villages in Burra District of Ningi Local Government Area of the state.
The bandits who came in their numbers were said to have attacked the villagers and shot sporadically into the air and in the process, killed seven people and injured many others.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakili, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview with journalists.
Wakili said, “Today, we woke up with very sad news. We received a distress call that some bandits had attacked Kada and Gamji villages under Burra district of Ningi LGA. They came in large numbers, shooting sporadically; as a result, seven people were killed.
“Operatives of the command in conjunction with the Nigerian military, engaged the bandits, and three of them were neutralised in the process while others scampered in disarray into the nearby bush with possible gunshot wounds.
“One of the personnel, a soldier, was injured and rushed to the hospital where he is presently receiving treatment.”
He gave the names of those killed by the bandits as Ali Usman, Shuaibu Adamu, Yunusa Adamu, Ali Alton, Umar Sabo Ibrahim, all from Gamji village.
“Presently, our operatives in conjunction with other sister security agencies with the local vigilantes are in the bush, combing it in search of the bandits,” he added.
The Commissioner of Police, Auwal Mohammad, commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives in the attack praying that their souls rest in peace.
He also directed the Area Commander to do everything possible within the law to arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act.
A member of a Local Vigilante Group in the area who witnessed the incident but who chose to speak on the condition of anonymity, said that the bandits invaded the area on Bajaj motorcycles, at about 9:00pm, on Tuesday, attacked and killed the innocent people.
He said that the gunmen suspected to be bandits terrorising the areas, came in three motorcycles and were heavily armed, noting that “the local security could not confront them and had to take cover.”
The witness further said that the bandits shot and killed the Ward Head of Gara, Mai Anguwa Ali, aged 50, along with five other people.
Among those killed were: Alhaji Ibrahim, Shuaibu Adamu (45), Yunusa Adamu (50), Umaru Sabo (25) and Ali Aldo.
Another member of the community noted that the gunmen burgled shops in the village and carted away foodstuffs and two motorcycles.
The bandits were also said to have killed one volunteer security guard and injured one army in Gamji Village during a gun duel with soldiers.
