By Muhammad Sani Muazu
The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested a 19-year-old suspect, Esther Gambo, over the alleged murder of two seven-year-old girls in Lemoro Village, Toro Local Government Area, Bauchi State.
Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Ahmed Wakil, in a statement on Thursday, said the suspect lured the victims, Khadija Sama’ila and A’isha Dahiru, from Unguwan Sarkin Yaki Village, with the intention of kidnapping a newborn female child belonging to Nafisa Dahiru.
Wakil explained that after obtaining the baby, the suspect allegedly led the girls to a nearby maize farm and killed them with a machete before fleeing the scene. The bodies of the deceased were recovered following a prompt response by police officers in collaboration with local vigilantes, while the kidnapped baby was rescued.
The incident sparked violent protests in the area, with aggrieved youths engaging in arson attacks on churches and attempting to burn down the Tulu Divisional Police Headquarters. The police said reinforcements were deployed from the Area Command, Toro, and neighbouring divisions to repel the attacks and restore normalcy.
Sixteen suspects linked to the violence have been arrested. They include Abbas Abdullahi (20), Mubarak Auwal (19), Abdullahi Muhammad (19), Dauda Abdullahi (19), Abubakar Sama’ila (18), Abdulmutallib Ibrahim (18), Yazid Auwal (20), Abdulrahman Ibrahim (17), Abdulwahid Sulaiman (17), Salihu Shuaibu (20), Sirajo Halliru (24), Musayib Abdullahi (21), Ibrahim Abubakar (19), Esther Idi (19), Gambo Yakubu (20), and Idi Bitrus (50).
The Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, expressed concern over the resort to violence by members of the community, stressing that the law must be allowed to take its course. He appealed to residents to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their hands, assuring that the police are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident.
Aliyu emphasised that the command remains committed to ensuring justice for all while maintaining law and order in the state.