Concerns As Banditry Creeps Into Gombe

The sleepy town of Pindiga in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State was thrown into mourning on December 28, 2025, when gunmen invaded a residence, killing two siblings and abducting four others.

The deceased were identified as Yusuf Mohammed, 31, and his sister, Faiza Mohammed, 28. They were reportedly killed in their family home along the Pindiga–Kashere Road at about 3.30am. Their 16-year-old sister, Zainab Mohammed Yusuf, was also abducted during the attack.

Yusuf was said to be asleep in his room when the assailants struck. His sister, Faiza, who was reportedly seven months pregnant, had travelled from her matrimonial home in Kano State to Pindiga for the end-of-year holiday when she was killed.

The attackers were also said to have moved to the residence of a businessman, Alhaji Yayaji Abdullahi. Although he managed to escape, the gunmen abducted his wife, Summai Alhaji Yayaji, 35, and their two children—Al’amin Alhaji Yayaji, 11, and Fatima Abdullahi, 14—before fleeing to an unknown location.

Daily Trust reports that Gombe State has remained relatively peaceful, despite being bordered by Bauchi, Taraba and Adamawa states, which have recently experienced incidents of banditry.

However, the latest violence has heightened concerns over worsening insecurity in parts of Gombe State, as criminal elements increasingly target homes and rural communities.

Community leaders in the affected villages have appealed to both the state and federal governments to deploy more security personnel to the Tumu–Pindiga–Kashere axis.

They warned that if the attacks are left unchecked, farming and trading activities that sustain the local economy could be severely disrupted.

The Pindiga incident is one of several reported attacks in villages along the Tumu–Pindiga–Kashere axis over the past month.

Most of the incidents have been linked to banditry, a dreaded criminal activity that appears to be silently creeping into Gombe State.

For instance, on January 13, barely two weeks after the Pindiga attack, the Gombe State Police Command announced that it had successfully foiled an attempted bandits’ invasion of Guda Lamido village in Kashere town, Akko LGA.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Buhari Abdullahi, confirmed that at about 4am on January 13, a report was received that a large number of armed bandits attempted to invade the village. He said no lives were lost and no injuries sustained during the encounter, adding that normalcy had since been restored and the area remained calm.

DSP Abdullahi also said rigorous patrols and surveillance operations had been intensified in the affected area and its environs to prevent further threats and ensure residents’ safety.

However, despite the police assurances, another attack occurred 12 days later.

On January 25, at about 2pm, suspected bandits invaded Rahama village via Gagarabami, also in Akko LGA, where they shot and killed a 70-year-old man, Tela Ahmadu, and abducted his two sons.

Later that same day, at about 3.40pm, the bandits stormed Lambo village and abducted three people: Babayo Garba, Malam Abba Musa and 20-year-old Baayo Bayi.

The Gombe State Police Command said its operatives killed three bandits and rescued the victims abducted from Lambo village.

Confirming the incident in a press statement, DSP Abdullahi said police tactical teams under Operation Hattara, working with hunters and vigilante groups, swiftly responded to a distress call and engaged the bandits in a gun duel.

“During the operation, Baayo Bayi was unfortunately caught in the crossfire and later confirmed dead, while Babayo Garba and Malam Abba Musa were successfully rescued.

“Three of the bandits were neutralised, while others escaped into the forest with suspected gunshot injuries,” he said.

Over 6,000 people displaced by bandits’ raids on communities

Daily Trust reports that more than 6,000 residents have been displaced following violent bandit attacks on Garin Galadima and neighbouring communities under the Pindiga Emirate of Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State.

Residents said the latest attacks, which occurred on January 23, forced families in Garin Galadima, Lumbo, Shulto and surrounding villages to abandon their ancestral homes and seek refuge in communities such as Pindiga, Tumu, Kashere, Kombani, Lawanti, Tundu and Tukulma.

Our correspondent reports that survivors of the attacks, who are currently taking refuge with relatives, said the bandits invaded the area in large numbers, riding on motorcycles and wielding assorted weapons.

Locals said three people were killed, while several others sustained injuries.

State govt concerned by humanitarian impact

The Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Abdullahi Haruna Abdullahi, said the state government was worried by the scale of displacement caused by the attacks.

He said a joint assessment had been carried out with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the North East Development Commission (NEDC) to determine the extent of damage and the number of people affected.

“Our immediate priority is to ensure that the displaced persons receive basic support such as bedding, food items and temporary shelter,” he said.

Abdullahi added that documentation of the victims was ongoing to facilitate further intervention. “We are profiling the affected households so that more relief materials can be provided. We are also working with security agencies to ensure the communities are safe for residents to return,” he said.

1 month after Pindiga attack, victims still with abductors

Our correspondent reports that one month after the deadly attack in Pindiga town, none of the four abducted victims has been rescued.

The victims—16-year-old Zainab Mohammed Yusuf, Summai Alhaji Yayaji, 35, and two children, Al’amin Alhaji Yayaji, 11, and Fatima Abdullahi, 14—are still in captivity at the time of filing this report.

It was also learnt that the police are yet to arrest the fleeing suspects linked with the Pindiga attack or rescue the abducted victims.

However, in a statement issued at the weekend, the Gombe State Police Command spokesperson, Buhari Abdullahi, said the police had arrested six suspects and recovered arms and ammunition after dismantling a specialised armed robbery syndicate operating in Pindiga District of Akko LGA.

He said another member of the syndicate, Alhaji Sale Adamu, was currently at large.

DSP Abdullahi disclosed that the suspects were arrested on January 29 at about 2pm, following credible intelligence on a case of armed robbery and criminal conspiracy.

He explained that sometime in December 2025, at about 2.30am, the victim (name withheld) was attacked in his residence by Babangida Gamji and three unidentified accomplices. The suspects reportedly assaulted the victim with a rifle and a cutlass and attempted to rob him of his motorcycle, but he narrowly escaped.

“However, the suspects later contacted the victim via phone, intimidated him and demanded the sum of N650,000, threatening severe consequences if he failed to comply. The victim eventually paid the amount,” the police spokesperson said.

According to him, items recovered from the suspects included one pump-action rifle, a locally made LAR rifle, 12 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, a live cartridge, a cutlass and the sum of N227,000.

Bandits’ attacks cruel, unacceptable – Governor Yahaya

Meanwhile, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has condemned the recurring attacks, describing them as barbaric, cruel and utterly unacceptable.

In statements by his spokesman, Ismaila Uba Misilli, following the incidents, the governor said the killing of innocent people in their homes and the abduction of women and children were heinous crimes that offend humanity and threaten the peace and security the state has worked hard to sustain.

“This dastardly act is a direct assault on our collective conscience and a painful test of our resolve to protect lives and property. The government and people of Gombe State share in the grief and anguish of the affected families and the entire Pindiga community,” he said.

Governor Yahaya assured that the crimes would not go unchecked, disclosing that the Nigeria Police and other security agencies had commenced intensive investigations into the killings and abductions.

He directed that all necessary resources be deployed to track down the perpetrators, rescue the abducted victims unharmed and ensure that all those involved are brought to justice.

The governor also reiterated his administration’s firm commitment to security, warning criminals and their collaborators that Gombe State would not serve as a safe haven for them. (Daily trust)