Adamawa Police nab 5 notorious syndicate for alleged gangsterism, armed robbery

From Umar Dankano, Yola.

The Police authorities in Adamawa State have revealed the arrest of a notorious youth criminal syndicate allegedly terrorizing residents of Yola, state capital.
Police Command in the state alleged that the gang has been on their watch list for a while and that they specialize in attacking their unsuspecting victims (residents) and snatching their belongings especially mobile phones, pads, laptops among others.
Spokesman of the command, Suleiman Nguroje in a press release issued in Yola Friday, noted that, the Command on the 20/6/2023, disconnected the criminal network of Shilla gangsterism, connecting part of Kala’a Street, Doubleli, Chinko, Gwadabawa, Limawa all in Yola North Local Government.
It read: “The suspected Shila boys specialise in Burgling and stealing valuable items from peoples’ shops/ houses within the State Capital, attacking and Robbing innocent people of their Belongings.
“The breakthrough of the command’s renewed security strategy yielded positive outcome with the arrest of these suspects from Various places including: Yusuf Bashir 18 years old, Resident of Kala’a Street, lsa Muhammed 20 years old, Ajiya Street, Ayo Morofade 18years, Angwan Tana,Shuaibu Sudais, 13 years old, Resident of Rumnde, and Muhammed Hassan, 20-year-old.
“Interestingly, One Sewing Machine, Generator, Clothing Materials, Cutlass, Handsets amongst others were recovered from the suspects in the course of investigation.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Afolabi Babatola while expressing Happiness for denying the suspects the opportunity to escape Justice and further directed total clamp down on criminals who are bent on disrupting the peace of the public”.
However, among the criminal suspects included a 13-year-old boy, belonging to a loosely organized youth gang popularly known as “Shila Boys” in local parlance.
Checks revealed that the suspects made their Waterloo on Friday while attacking an unnamed woman and a young man identified as Zakari Yahaya in the evening of Wednesday, June 21.
The youngest and 13-year-old Muhammadu Sudest of Rumde in Yola North LGA, confessed to attacking and snatching a handset and N85 belonging to Zakari.
Muhammadu, said to have just completed his primary school, narrated that Nasiru and himself sighted Zakari at Doubeli with a handset and beat him up and dispossessed him of his property.
He confessed that this is the 3rd time he was arrested by the police for “shila” activities, saying that recently, they pursued a she goat at Zango street and killed it with sticks and stones and sold it.
He also narrated that they also use insecticide in killing the goats, explaining that they mix the chemical with grains and give it to them, and that they die by the time they have eaten it.
According to him, they usually sell the dead animal or carcass to one Mama Merti for between N6000 to N7000, saying that the woman prepares it and sells it at a joint within Jimeta.
However, Muhammadu, who denied taking hard drugs, said he smokes Indian hemp and nothing else, saying he was also arrested for stealing a handset.
He stated that he started stealing and following bad boys when his father who is a mason divorced his mother who is now in Kano state and married another woman.
The Police while urging the public to support and cooperate with its operational demands, especially useful information assured that the suspects will be charged to court for prosecution.