Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
YOLA, Nigeria – The Adamawa State Police Command has arrested two armed robbery suspects in the Yola-North Local Government Area following separate operations linked to burglary and street robbery cases, as authorities intensify their crackdown on the notorious "Shilla" gangsterism plaguing the state capital and its environs.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, the command’s spokesman, SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje, said operatives attached to the Doubeli Divisional Police Headquarters apprehended the two suspects in connection with distinct criminal incidents.
The first suspect, Idris Auwal, 22, a resident of Doubeli Culvert in Yola-North LGA, was arrested on June 3, 2026. According to the police statement, preliminary investigations revealed that Auwal conspired with three other accomplices, who are currently at large, and broke into a shop located at Nassarawo Borehole belonging to Abdullahi Sunusi. The suspects allegedly carted away a bag containing cash, important documents, and assorted shop provisions valued at an undisclosed amount.
“Through diligent investigation, Idris Auwal was apprehended while efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing accomplices,” Nguroje said. The burglary was part of a pattern of nighttime raids on shops in the Nassarawo Borehole area, where small business owners have complained for months about repeated thefts that have driven some of them to the brink of closure.
In a separate incident on June 5, 2026, operatives of the same division arrested a suspected Shilla gang member who specializes in attacking and robbing innocent citizens of their valuables. The suspect reportedly approached one Abubakar Abdullahi along the Doubeli Bypass, armed with a cutlass, and robbed him of an Itel mobile phone and the sum of ₦19,000. During the attack, the suspect inflicted injuries on the victim’s head with the cutlass.
“Fortunately, police operatives swiftly responded to the scene, arrested the suspect, and ensured the victim received immediate medical attention,” Nguroje said. Items recovered from the suspects include a cutlass, a knife, and the stolen handset. The victim, a local businessman who sells spare parts along the bypass, has since been discharged from the hospital but still bears visible scars on his forehead.
Both suspects are currently undergoing investigation, while efforts are being intensified to apprehend other fleeing members of the criminal gang and bring them to justice. The command reaffirmed its commitment to combating Shilla gangsterism and all forms of criminality, and encouraged residents to continue providing timely and useful information to support public safety and security.
The arrests are part of a broader, sustained crackdown on the Shilla gang network, which has terrorized residents of Yola and Jimeta for years. Earlier in the same week, police operatives from the State Criminal Investigation Department and other tactical units raided identified criminal hideouts and hotspots across Yola North and Yola South local government areas, leading to the arrest of 11 suspected members of the notorious Shilla gang on May 31, 2026. Those suspects were identified as Aliyu Idris, 18; Mukhtar Abubakar, 28; Amir Dan Asabe, 23; Joel Timothy, 23; Isaac Isah, 26; Hassan Salisu, 19; Nyon Ayuba, 32; Saidu Musa, 22; Adamu Yau, 20; Adamu Muhammed, 36; and Nasiru Bala, 20.
During that operation, officers recovered a cache of dangerous weapons, including knives, daggers, machetes, and cutlasses allegedly used in carrying out criminal activities. The police also seized quantities of Tramadol and Diazepam tablets, as well as other illicit substances, from the suspects. Following the completion of investigations, the 11 suspects were arraigned before a competent court, which ordered their remand in a correctional custodial centre pending further legal proceedings.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Kabir Umar Hassan, commended the operatives for the successful operation and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to eliminating gangsterism, thuggery, and other violent crimes across the state. “We remain committed to combating Shilla gangsterism and all forms of criminality. Residents are encouraged to continue supporting the police with timely and useful information to enhance public safety and security,” CP Hassan said. He warned criminal elements to abandon their unlawful activities or face the full force of the law, stressing that the command remains determined to ensure the safety and security of residents.
The Shilla gangs, a loose network of street criminals predominantly active in Yola and its satellite towns, are known for muggings, shop break‑ins, and violent street robberies, often carried out with machetes or knives. The group has no centralized leadership but operates in small cells, making them difficult to track. In recent months, complaints from shop owners and commuters had piled up at police stations, many of them accusing the gangs of operating with near impunity because victims were too afraid to testify. The new arrests suggest that the police may have finally found a way to penetrate the gangs' support networks.
The police command also appealed to members of the public to continue supporting law enforcement efforts by providing timely and credible information on suspicious individuals and activities within their communities. They urged residents to report any person with fresh, unexplained wounds who may have been injured during a robbery, as such individuals are often gang members who have fled from crime scenes.
The court has not yet set a date for the substantive trial of the 11 Shilla gang members, but legal observers expect the case to proceed within the next judicial session. For the people of Doubeli, Nassarawo, and the wider Yola metropolis, the arrests of Idris Auwal and the second suspect offer a rare moment of relief. However, the gang's three remaining accomplices who helped Auwal break into the shop are still on the run, and as night falls over the city, the sound of a single gunshot is enough to remind everyone that the war against the Shillas is far from over.
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