The Bauchi State Police Command has taken a suspect, Esther Gambo, into custody over allegations of child theft and murder.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ahmed Wakil, revealed that 19-year-old Esther, a resident of Lemoro Village in Toro Local Government Area, allegedly lured two seven-year-old girls—Khadija Sama’ila and A’isha Dahiru—from Unguwan Sarkin Yaki Village.
Wakil stated that following the report, law enforcement officers teamed up with local vigilante groups and responded swiftly.
“They successfully recovered the deceased bodies of the young girls, apprehended Esther Gambo, and rescued 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. 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,” Wakil explained.
The PPRO reported that the incident sparked outrage among members of the local Muslim youth, leading to violent demonstrations that included the burning of churches and attempts to set fire to the Tulu Divisional Police Headquarters.
“Reinforcements from the Area Command Toro and neighbouring divisions were deployed to restore order, successfully repelling the aggressive actions against the police station. As a result of this unrest, sixteen suspects have been arrested in connection with the case, including Abbas Abdullahi, 20 years, Mubarak Auwal, 19 years, Abdullahi Muhammad (Alias P.A), 19 years, Dauda Abdullahi, 19 years, Abubakar Sama’ila, 18 years, Abdulmutallib Ibrahim, 18 years, Yazid Auwal, 20 years, Abdulrahman Ibrahim, 17 years, Abdulwahid Sulaiman, 17 years, Salihu Shuaibu, 20 years, Sirajo Halliru, 24 years, Musayib Abdullahi, 21 years, Ibrahim Abubakar, 19 years, Esther Idi, 19 years, Gambo Yakubu, 20 years, and Idi Bitrus, 50 years,“ the statement listed.
Wakil also noted that the Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, stressed the need for adherence to the law and the preservation of public order throughout the state.
He voiced concern about actions that defy the rule of law and urged residents not to resort to vigilante justice.
The Commissioner urged the public to respect individual rights in all situations and reaffirmed that law enforcement duties must remain in the hands of trained authorities.
He assured the public that a comprehensive investigation is ongoing and urged calm while the matter is properly handled.