Troops of the 6 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have arrested a notorious bandit identified as Yusuf Hammadu, popularly known as “Dogo,” in the Lainde Jessy area of Lau Local Government Area of Taraba State.

Hammadu, who had been on the watchlist of security agencies for his alleged involvement in multiple kidnappings and other criminal activities, was apprehended following an intelligence-led operation on April 19.

The Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 6 Brigade, Capt. Olubodunde Oni, disclosed this in a statement issued in Jalingo on Friday.

According to the Army, the suspect confessed during preliminary interrogation to being a member of a criminal syndicate responsible for several abductions and ransom negotiations across Jalingo, Ardo-Kola, Lau, and Yorro LGAs.

The Army also arrested one Richard Ongu, who was allegedly impersonating a serving Major in the Nigerian Army.

Ongu, who was apprehended on April 22, allegedly claimed to have been posted to 20 Model Battalion, Gashaka, but later admitted to being a dismissed Flight Sergeant of the Nigerian Air Force.

Ongu was said to have defrauded several individuals by falsely posing as a military officer.

The Army noted that Ongu would be handed over to the relevant authorities upon the conclusion of investigations for prosecution.

Meanwhile, in a separate operation on April 16, troops acting on a distress call raided a suspected bandit camp in Dutsen Kachalla, Lau LGA.

According to the Army, though the suspects fled into surrounding hills, the soldiers recovered an AK-47 rifle butt, a magazine, a military headgear, and a National Identity Card belonging to one Adamu Umaru Jauro.

The Army said on April 24, a joint operation involving Army troops and operatives from the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) in Jatau-Nyimu village, Donga LGA, also led to the recovery of 86 rounds of 5.6mm ammunition, a Tarvor mag

Two people have been killed and two others injured in a fresh attack in the Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The attack, which occurred on Wednesday morning, was reportedly carried out by Fulani militias who ambushed three Irigwe youths.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Irigwe Youths Movement, Joseph Yonkpa, who confirmed the killings, identified the victims who lost their lives as Adamu Bala, 38, and Gado Trra, 45.

Yonkpa said one of the victims survived the attack with bullet injuries and is currently receiving treatment in a hospital.

He said a military personnel was also injured during the ambush, adding that the attack resulted in the destruction of over 20 farms.

Yonkpa said, “This morning, three of our people were ambushed by Fulani militias. Two died instantly, and one survived with bullet injuries and is currently hospitalised in an undisclosed location.

“Those killed are Adamu Bala, 38 years, and Gado Trra, 45 years. Additionally, a military personnel sustained bullet injuries during the ambush. Over 20 farms were destroyed.”

The spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Alabo Alfred, could not be reached for comment on the incident as calls put across to his mobile phone rang out.

Meanwhile, over 300 cattle were reportedly rustled on Tuesday evening around Jouckchal community in Panyam district of Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The Secretary of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria in Mangu, Musa Muhammad, told journalists in Jos that the incident occurred around 4:30 pm when the cattle were grazing in the area.

The secretary said the rustlers stormed the area in large numbers, shooting sporadically as the herders fled for their lives.

“The cattle, over 300, belonging to three persons, including Jeji Boro with 130, Shagari Manu with 70, and Tambaya Jouckchal with 103, were taken by the attackers,” Muhammad said.

According to the secretary, they informed the Commander of Sector 8 of Operation Safe Haven, the DPO, OC DSS, and the Chairman of Mangu LGA about the incident.

He added that the Sector 8 Commander had deployed troops on Tuesday night to trail the perpetrators, saying that “only 5 out of the 300 cattle were tracked by the security so far.”

Muhammad accused Mwaghavul youths of rustling the cattle and called on security agencies to recover the stolen cattle and address the ongoing attacks, stressing their commitment to peaceful coexistence.

The spokesperson for Operation Safe Haven, Major Samson Zhakom, had yet to respond to the development as of press time.

But the National President of the Mwaghavul Development Association, Bulus Dabit, in a reaction, denied the allegation made by the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association that the Mwaghavul people rustled 300 of their cows.

Dabit described cattle rustling as a criminal activity that should be investigated by security agencies, rather than being attributed to a particular tribe.

“Cattle rustling is not a tribal activity, but rather a criminal act that requires investigation and prosecution,” he said, expressing concern that the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association’s allegations on social media are “overheating the system” and stereotyping the Mwaghavul people as thieves.

He urged the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association to report any incidents of cattle rustling to security agencies for investigation, rather than taking to social media.

Dabit questioned the plausibility of the allegations, asking where the Mwaghavul people would keep 300 cows if they had indeed rustled them.

“I have always told them that cattle rustling is not a tribal activity. It is an activity of criminals. I don’t know about what they are saying, but assuming without conceding that, I’m not thinking of 300, but even if it is one cow that is missing, it is big enough for security agencies to investigate. When something like that happens, they should stop talking about it on social media.

They should report to the security agencies to investigate because this social media activity that they are doing is not helping matters. It is making our people very angry because they feel they have been stereotyped as thieves.

It is the work of the security agents to unravel any criminal activity and it is equally wrong and criminal to stereotype another group and say that the whole Mwaghavul people are stealing their cows.

We live in a very small place. Where can we keep 300 cows? I think this kind of discussion coming from the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association is overheating the system and they should do away with it.”

Meanwhile, the secretary disclosed that the death toll from the alleged cattle poisoning around the INEC office on Tuesday morning in the same Mangu LGA had risen to 36, with an additional ten cattle dying between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

The secretary lamented the losses, recalling that on April 9, 60 cattle were rustled in Murish community in the same LGA, and the herder tending to them remains missing.

MACBAN, however, called on security agencies to recover the stolen cattle and address the ongoing attacks, stressing their commitment to peaceful coexistence.

A tragic accident during an Easter procession in Billiri Local Government Area, Gombe State, has claimed the lives of five individuals and left eight others seriously injured, igniting widespread outrage and unrest within the community.

The unfortunate incident occurred on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025, when a trailer truck reportedly transporting grains from Adamawa State to Gombe lost control and rammed into a crowd of worshippers taking part in the annual Christian celebration.

According to the Gombe State Police Command, preliminary investigations suggest that the truck experienced brake failure, veered off the road, and collided with the procession in Billiri town, a predominantly Christian community.

A disturbing video of the scene, shared by social media user @ZariyiYusufu on X (formerly Twitter), shows the immediate aftermath, with bodies scattered and panicked bystanders rushing to aid the wounded. Some Muslim residents who were nearby were also reportedly caught in the chaos.

In a statement released on Monday, the Gombe State Police spokesperson, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, confirmed that five individuals—two men and three women—lost their lives in the incident. The injured were promptly transported to both the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, and the General Hospital in Billiri for treatment. Medical reports indicate that all survivors are in stable condition.

Shortly after the accident, the atmosphere in Billiri turned hostile. Eyewitnesses reported that enraged youths set the trailer ablaze, attacked nearby shops, and stormed the Billiri Divisional Police Headquarters in protest. Several officers, including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), were injured after being pelted with stones and makeshift weapons.

Police operatives quickly mobilized to contain the situation and prevent further escalation. Additional security personnel were deployed to restore calm and maintain law and order in the area.

In a firm response, the Gombe State Police Command condemned the retaliatory violence, describing it as “unlawful and counterproductive.” Commissioner of Police (CP) Bello Yahaya extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and urged community members to avoid taking the law into their own hands.

“The Command condemns this act of lawlessness and urges residents to remain calm and allow justice to take its course,” the statement read.

Investigations into the cause of the accident and the events that followed are ongoing.

Concerns are mounting over the growing pattern of fatal accidents during religious events in Gombe State, with multiple tragic incidents reported in recent years. Social media users, religious leaders, and community stakeholders have expressed deep alarm, urging authorities to act decisively.

This is not an isolated event. On December 25, 2024, a truck rammed into a Christmas procession in the Tumfure area of Gombe, killing 22 worshippers and leaving several others injured. The Christmas Day tragedy bore chilling similarities to a previous incident that occurred in 2019, when a speeding vehicle plowed into an Easter procession, killing 31 Christians in Billiri.

Civic groups and human rights advocates are urging both the Gombe State Government and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to implement stricter vehicle inspection protocols, particularly for long-haul trucks traveling through residential zones.

In a televised interview on Monday, an official of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Gombe described the event as “an avoidable tragedy that speaks to institutional failure and lack of preparedness.”

The Gombe State Police Command has assured residents that all those responsible—whether through negligence or violence—will be brought to justice.

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