The Gombe State Police Command has arrested eight suspected members of a criminal syndicate allegedly involved in armed robbery and cyber-enabled financial fraud across several communities in the state.

The suspects were apprehended following investigations into a robbery incident reported on June 7, 2026, in Wuro Birji, Akko Local Government Area, where armed men reportedly invaded the homes of two residents, Hassan Muhammad and Jibril Hassan, wielding cutlasses and making away with their mobile phones.

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According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Buhari Abdullahi, the stolen devices were later used to gain unauthorized access to the victims’ bank accounts.

Police investigations revealed that the suspects fraudulently withdrew ₦296,790 from one victim’s GTBank account and also obtained a Quick Loan worth ₦205,205, bringing the total amount stolen to more than ₦500,000.

The command said a major breakthrough came after operatives conducted technical analysis of the fraudulent transactions and traced one of the transfers to a Moniepoint account.

The investigation led to the arrest of Mustapha Kabiru, popularly known as “Musty Bobo,” a 19-year-old ND II Computer Science student of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaltungo.

According to the police, Kabiru confessed during interrogation that he used information obtained from stolen mobile phones to access victims’ bank accounts and carry out fraudulent transactions.

His confession subsequently led to the arrest of seven additional suspects believed to be members of the same criminal network.

Further investigations revealed that the syndicate is allegedly linked to more than 13 similar robbery and cyber fraud incidents in Wuro Birji, Riyal, Bomala and Jauro Jatau communities.

The police said investigations are still ongoing, adding that efforts have been intensified to arrest other members of the syndicate who remain at large.

Commending the officers for the successful operation, the Commissioner of Police in Gombe State, Umar Ahmed Chuso, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating violent crime and cybercrime.

)He also urged members of the public to remain vigilant, protect their personal information and digital devices, and promptly report any suspicious activities to the nearest police station.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned five men before the Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly concealing the whereabouts of former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, who has been declared wanted over his alleged involvement in a coup plot.

The defendants—Reuben Ayuba, Musa Mohammed, Friday Paul, Paganengigha Anagaha and Ayebaifie Suobite—were brought before Justice Peter Lifu on a two-count charge of allegedly becoming accessories after the fact by hiding the whereabouts of the former governor.

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According to the prosecution, the accused allegedly concealed Sylva’s location on or about April 28, 2026, after he was implicated as a financier of an alleged plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

Sylva, who also served as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources under former President Muhammadu Buhari, was said to have fled the country before details of the alleged coup plot became public.

The Federal Government subsequently declared him wanted and reportedly commenced moves to confiscate some of his identified properties.

When the charges were read in court, the five defendants pleaded not guilty.

Following their plea, prosecution counsel Emmanuel Orubor urged the court to remand the defendants and fix a date for trial, stating that the prosecution was prepared to call witnesses to prove its case.

However, defence lawyers representing the defendants applied for bail, arguing that their clients had been in DSS custody since October 25, 2025, and deserved to be released on liberal terms pending trial.

In his ruling, Justice Lifu held that the charges were bailable and granted each defendant bail in the sum of N5 million, with two sureties in like sum.

The court ordered that each surety must provide an affidavit of means, evidence of three years’ tax payment, proof of visible means of livelihood, and recent passport photographs.

The identities of the sureties are also to be verified by the court’s Registrar.

Pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions, the defendants were ordered to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre.

The case was adjourned until July 22, 2026, for the commencement of trial.

The charges allege that the defendants knowingly concealed the whereabouts of Sylva, described by the prosecution as a fugitive, in violation of Section 519 of the Criminal Code Act.

The Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun, has arrested a 56-year-old man, Iliasu, alongside his three sons over their alleged involvement in a kidnapping operation in Oba-Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area of the state.

The suspects, identified as Usman (33), Wahab (27), and Yakubu (18), were paraded in Akure alongside 24 other suspects arrested for various offences by the state security outfit.

Speaking during the parade, the Commander of Amotekun in Ondo State, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed that the victim, Oyebade Samuel, was abducted while travelling to Oba-Akoko after his vehicle developed a mechanical fault along the road.

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According to Adeleye, four armed men emerged from the bush carrying guns, cutlasses, and sticks before attacking and dragging the victim into the forest.

The kidnappers initially demanded a ₦40 million ransom but later reduced it to ₦1.6 million, which the victim’s family paid.

Despite receiving the money, the suspects allegedly refused to release the victim and warned the family against involving security agencies.

Following the suspects’ failure to honour the agreement, the family contacted Amotekun, prompting an intelligence-led operation that traced the kidnappers to a family of four who allegedly disguised themselves as cattle rearers while operating a kidnapping syndicate.

Adeleye said the suspects resisted arrest and attacked Amotekun operatives during the rescue mission but were eventually overpowered.

The victim was rescued with multiple machete and knife injuries sustained during captivity and was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment.

The Amotekun commander further revealed that more than 75 per cent of the ₦1.6 million ransom was recovered, alongside alcoholic drinks, drugs, cigarettes, and other items allegedly linked to the suspects.

He added that one of the suspects, believed to be the gang leader, had been on Amotekun’s watchlist since 2024 over several kidnapping incidents in the Ondo North Senatorial District but had fled the state before recently returning to allegedly mastermind the latest abduction.

Adeleye reiterated that the security outfit discourages the payment of ransom, assuring that all recovered money would be returned to the victim’s family.

“There is no hiding place for criminals in Ondo State, whether in the forests or within our communities. We remain committed to protecting lives and property,” he said.