Seven individuals have been apprehended by the Bauchi State Police Command in connection with a recent wave of armed robberies and violent attacks that triggered unrest among students in Bauchi city.
The detainees are identified as Mansur Yakubu, also known as Chasu, aged 20; Abbas Auwal, alias Abe, 20 years old; Musa Bala, called Baban Nani, 20; Aliyu Ahmadu, nicknamed Yellow, 21; Zurkarlaini Aliyu, known as Baki, 20; Muftahu Ibrahim, 20; and two others, Dodo and Hamza Bala, who goes by R-Kelly, aged 29.
Authorities confirmed that all suspects hail from the Lushi and Birshin Fulani neighborhoods.
According to CSP Ahmed Wakil, the police spokesperson for the command, the suspects have admitted their roles in the crimes and implicated 13 additional accomplices, including an 18-year-old named Adamu Muhammad, popularly referred to as Daddy, a resident of Birshin Fulani.
CSP Wakil revealed that Muhammad was detained by officers from the Yelwa Divisional Police Headquarters on September 1, 2025.
During questioning, Muhammad confessed to orchestrating an armed robbery at the Federal Polytechnic in Bauchi.
Wakil explained that the criminal group, comprising roughly 20 young men from Lushi, Birshi Gandu, Birshin Fulani, and Yelwa, targeted student hostels, stealing items such as mobile phones, laptops, and power banks.
“Investigations uncovered that the ringleader profited from the stolen goods, selling three mobile phones-brands Oppo, Samsung, and Infinix-for N40,000 through an associate named Salmanu, also known as Papus,” Wakil stated.
He further disclosed that the suspects admitted to terrorizing neighborhoods in Yelwa, Gwallameji, and nearby communities by breaking into homes at night armed with weapons and flashlights.
“They unlawfully entered multiple residences, seized valuables, assaulted anyone who resisted, and occasionally fled to neighboring states to avoid capture,” CSP Wakil added.
In a separate incident on September 9, police successfully prevented a lynching attempt against a motorcycle thief at Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi.
The accused, 25-year-old Salisu Musa from Mararraban Liman Katagum, was caught with a stolen black Jincheng motorcycle belonging to a student named Hussaini Musa.
“Upon receiving the report, detectives from B Divisional Police Headquarters, GRA, promptly arrived at the scene and rescued Salisu Musa from an angry student mob. The motorcycle in his possession was confirmed stolen from Hussaini Musa, a student of Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic,” the statement read.
The police spokesperson added that Salisu Musa confessed to the theft during interrogation.
Investigations are ongoing to uncover further details about stolen motorcycles within educational institutions.
Wakil emphasized that the suspects will face legal action, with formal charges to be filed after profiling and thorough investigation.
The Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has ordered that the suspects be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for comprehensive and confidential examination.
