Police Arrest 5 Over Alleged Criminal Conspiracy and Fraud in Yobe
The Yobe State Police Command has arrested five individuals involved in a syndicate specializing in defrauding unsuspecting victims.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, confirmed the arrests in a statement made available to journalists in Damaturu, the state capital. The arrested suspects include Abdullahi Suleman, 62; Sani Salisu, 30; and Nasiru Mohd, 30, all from Gombe State. The other suspects are Alhasan Illiya, 55, from Potiskum Local Government Area of Yobe State, and 43-year-old Weti Mohd from Ngorore in Adamawa State.
The suspects were apprehended on January 6, 2025, around 4:30 p.m. through a joint operation by the State Intelligence Department (SID) and the Tarmuwa Divisional Police Headquarters.
According to the police, the suspects’ modus operandi involved approaching victims while pretending to be travelers seeking assistance. They then deceived their targets into giving them large sums of money, claiming to perform fetish rituals to protect them from enemies and bring prosperity.
The latest victim of the syndicate, Mallam Audu Shehu from Shekau Village in Tarmuwa LGA, was defrauded of N500,000. However, the police managed to recover the stolen money intact during a search of the suspects’ belongings.
The suspects confessed to the crime, revealing that this was their first operation in Yobe State. They had been active in Adamawa, Gombe, and Taraba States for over three years.
The Commissioner of Police in Yobe State, CP Garba Ahmed, emphasized the Command’s commitment to ensuring security and safety in the state. He urged residents to be cautious of impostors posing as marabouts or security agents and to report suspicious activities to the nearest police station.
Items recovered from the suspects include a Mercedes-Benz saloon car, a bunch of paper notes, N500,000 in cash, and six granite pebbles. Police investigations are ongoing, and the suspects will face prosecution.
