The Bauchi State Police Command has announced the arrest of one Esther Gambo, 19, from Lemoro Village in Toro Local Government Area, for her alleged involvement in child theft and murder.
According to a press release issued on Thursday by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil, Esther Gambo reportedly enticed two seven-year-old girls, Khadija Sama’ila and A’isha Dahiru, from Unguwan Sarkin Yaki Village.
Upon receiving the report, a swift response by a team of police officers, in collaboration with local vigilante groups, led to the recovery of the deceased bodies of the young girls, the apprehension of Esther Gambo, and the successful rescue of a kidnapped newborn victim.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused, Esther Gambo, lured the girls intending to obtain a newborn female child belonging to Nafisa Dahiru,” Wakil explained.
“Following her acquisition of the baby, Esther allegedly led the two girls to a nearby maize farm, where she unlawfully ended their lives with a machete before fleeing the scene.”
In the aftermath of the horrific incident, significant public unrest erupted, predominantly among local Muslim youth. This unrest escalated into violent protests, including the arson of churches and attempts to set fire to the Tulu Divisional Police Headquarters.
Reinforcements from the Area Command Toro and neighboring divisions were swiftly deployed to restore order, successfully repelling the aggressive actions against the police station.
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As a direct result of this unrest, sixteen suspects have been arrested.
They include Abbas Abdullahi (20), Mubarak Auwal (19), Abdullahi Muhammad (Alias P.A) (19), Dauda Abdullahi (19), Abubakar Sama’ila (18), Abdulmutallib Ibrahim (18), Yazid Auwal (20), Abdulrahman Ibrahim (17), Abdulwahid Sulaiman (17), Salihu Shuaibu (20), Sirajo Halliru (24), Musayib Abdullahi (21), Ibrahim Abubakar (19), Esther Idi (19), Gambo Yakubu (20), and Idi Bitrus (50).
The Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, emphasized the critical importance of upholding the law and maintaining public order within Bauchi State.
He expressed deep concern over recent actions that undermine legal principles and appealed to community members to refrain from taking the law into their own hands.
The Commissioner called on everyone to respect the rights of individuals, regardless of the circumstances, and highlighted that law enforcement must remain in the hands of trained professionals.
He reassured the public that a thorough investigation is underway and encouraged everyone to remain calm as the situation is addressed appropriately.