Eight suspects held as police uncover robbery, internet fraud syndicate in Gombe

The Gombe State Police Command has arrested eight persons suspected of belonging to a criminal gang linked to armed robbery and cyber fraud in different parts of the state.

The arrests followed an investigation into a robbery reported on June 7, 2026, in Wuro Birji, Akko Local Government Area.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the command’s spokesperson, Buhari Abdullahi, said two residents, Hassan Muhammad and Jibril Hassan, informed the police that armed men carrying cutlasses broke into their homes and carted away their mobile phones.

According to the police, the stolen phones were later used to obtain sensitive banking information, enabling the suspects to gain unlawful access to the victims’ accounts.

The command said one victim lost N296,790 from a GTBank account, while the suspects also secured and withdrew a Quick Loan worth N205,205, bringing the total amount taken to more than N500,000.

“Acting on credible intelligence and following painstaking technical analysis of the fraudulent transactions, operatives successfully traced one transaction to a Moniepoint account, which led to the arrest of the first suspect, Mustapha Kabiru, alias ‘Musty Bobo,’ a 19-year-old ND II Computer Science student of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaltungo,” the statement partly read.

Police said Kabiru admitted during questioning that he used information extracted from stolen mobile phones to access victims’ bank accounts and conduct fraudulent transactions.

“His confession subsequently led to the arrest of seven additional suspects,” the statement added.

Further investigations, according to the command, indicated that the group was allegedly connected to more than 13 similar cases reported in Wuro Birji, Riyal, Bomala and Jauro Jatau communities.

The police said efforts were continuing to track down other members of the alleged syndicate who are still on the run, adding that investigations into the case were ongoing.

The Commissioner of Police, Umar Ahmed Chuso, praised the officers involved in the operation and reiterated the command’s resolve to tackle both violent crime and cybercrime across the state.

“The command remains unwavering in its commitment to tackling all forms of criminality, including cybercrime and violent offences.

“Members of the public are urged to remain vigilant, adequately secure their personal information and digital devices, and promptly report any suspicious activities to the nearest police station”, the commissioner said.