Newscenter Media News 
The Gombe State Police Command has announced a major breakthrough in its fight against kidnapping and cattle rustling, arresting seven suspected members of a criminal syndicate, neutralising two others, and recovering a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) during a series of coordinated operations.
DSP Buhari Abdullahi, Police Public Relations Officer, disclosed the development in a statement released on Friday.
He said the operation was carried out with the support of the Gombe State Professional Hunters Association, following an escalation of intelligence-driven efforts to track and dismantle violent criminal gangs operating across the region.
According to the Command, the operation began on November 23, 2025, around 4:00 a.m., after officers received “credible intelligence from a Good Samaritan” linking one Abdullahi Ibrahim, 40, of Tilde Village in Funakaye LGA, to a network of kidnappers and cattle rustlers. Ibrahim was promptly arrested.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to participating in cattle rustling and multiple kidnapping operations.
He also provided the identities of several accomplices believed to be active across Gombe, Bauchi, Yobe, and Adamawa States.
Acting on these leads, operatives attached to Operation Hattara, working alongside professional hunters, raided several hideouts on November 28.
Abdullahi stated that a gun battle ensued, leading to the arrest of six additional suspects. Those arrested include Usman Mohammed (30), Hussain Idris (37), Adamu Tukur (37), Yau Abdullahi (25), Ali Umar (18), Hassan Usman (40), along with the earlier arrested Ibrahim.
“All suspects confessed during preliminary interviews to participating in several kidnapping operations and receiving an estimated ₦150,000,000 ransom from their victims,” the police said.
Further intelligence guided operatives to the Gadam bush, where the gang had allegedly hidden a firearm used in past abductions.
As officers moved toward the location, they were ambushed by unidentified armed members of the syndicate.
“A brief exchange of gunfire ensued, resulting in the neutralisation of two suspected kidnappers and the recovery of one GPMG and eight rounds of live ammunition,” DSP Abdullahi stated.
He added that the bodies of the dead suspects were deposited at the Specialist Hospital Mortuary in Gombe.
Investigators also linked the arrested suspects to a January 15, 2025 abduction in Barderi Village, Akko LGA, in which a victim was held for two weeks until a ₦15 million ransom was paid.
Police said the victim identified three of the suspects currently in custody as his abductors, and other victims have come forward with similar identifications.
DSP Abdullahi confirmed that the suspects remain in custody, while recovered exhibits undergo further forensic review.
“All recovered items are being discreetly analysed and the suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations,” he said.
Reassuring residents, the Police Command pledged to sustain pressure on criminal groups.
“The Gombe State Police Command reaffirms its unwavering commitment to protecting lives and property across the state,” Abdullahi said, urging the public to continue sharing credible information that can aid policing operations.
Police dismantle major kidnapping syndicate in Gombe, arrest seven, recover GPMG