The Gombe State Police Command says it has made “significant operational breakthroughs” with arrests in cases of rape, armed robbery, vandalism, and theft of railway materials, alongside the recovery of stolen items.
Command spokesperson DSP Buhari Abdullahi, in a statement on Tuesday, said the operations were carried out between August 9 and 11 across Funakaye, Yamaltu Deba, Kwami, and Gombe LGAs.
On August 10, police in Bajoga recovered 18 iron pipes, electric cables, and railway track bolts hidden in bags at Ashaka Cement Motor Park, Funakaye LGA. The pipes were traced to Ashaka Cement Company, while the cables and bolts were suspected to have been vandalised along the Bajoga–Jalingo Road. The suspect fled before police arrival, and efforts are ongoing to track him down.
In another incident, operatives in Kwadon arrested 18-year-old Hassan Aminu Sadiq of Yelwa Quarters with a roll of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
He later confessed to involvement in two armed robbery cases pending before the High Court, Gombe.
The case has been transferred to the Anti-Violence Squad for further investigation.
Police also arrested 55-year-old Mohammed Tukur of Sabon Gari Village, Zambuk, Yamaltu Deba LGA, for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl.
The victim was taken to General Hospital, Zambuk, for examination, while the suspect remains in custody.
On August 11, a patrol team from Gona Division intercepted three men — Haruna Aliyu, 20; Adamu Aliyu, 20; and Umar Ibrahim, 18 — with 19 stolen railway steel slippers in a Toyota pick-up van at Nassarawo Quarters. They confessed to removing the items from the railway line, leading to the arrest of four alleged receivers of the stolen goods.
The exhibits have been documented, and the case transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for prosecution.
Commending the officers involved, Commissioner of Police Bello Yahaya reaffirmed the command’s resolve to protect lives, property, and public infrastructure, urging residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities.