Gunmen Kill Two, Abduct Five in Gombe

Unidentified gunmen invaded a house in Pindiga village in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State, killed two siblings and abducted four other persons in the early hours of Sunday.

According to Dailytrust, two siblings, Yusuf Mohammed, 31, popularly known as Yusuf Daddy, and his sister, Faiza Mohammed, 28, were shot during the attack. At the same time, a 16-year-old girl, Zainab Yusuf, was abducted.

The two gunshot victims were rushed to the Cottage Hospital in Pindiga for urgent medical care, but were later confirmed dead by a medical doctor, plunging the community into mourning.

The Gombe State Police Command confirmed that the incident occurred at approximately 3:30 a.m. on December 28, resulting in a distress call received at the Pindiga Police Station.

The gunmen reportedly moved to a nearby house belonging to Yayaji Abdullahi, where they kidnapped his wife, Summai Abdullahi, 35, and their two children,  Al’amin, 11, and Fatima, 14, before fleeing the area.

In a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, Buhari Abdullahi, the police confirmed that unidentified armed men stormed a residence along the Pindiga-Kashere Road, where they opened fire on members of the household.

He disclosed that a visit to the scene by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, alongside a team of senior officers, led to the recovery of six empty AK-47 shells and one live round of ammunition.

DSP Abdullahi added that the two victims were immediately rushed to the Cottage Hospital, Pindiga, where they were confirmed dead by a medical doctor.

“Following this development, tactical and intelligence-led operations were immediately intensified in the area. Hunters and local vigilante groups have been mobilised, while concerted efforts are ongoing to rescue the abducted victims and apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous crime,” he said.

Reacting to the incident, Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, strongly condemned the killings and abductions, describing the attack as barbaric, cruel and completely unacceptable.

The governor said the murder of innocent citizens in their homes, alongside the kidnapping of women and children, was a heinous crime that offends humanity and threatens the peace the state has worked hard to sustain.

“This dastardly act is a direct assault on our collective conscience and a painful test of our resolve to protect lives and property,” Mr Yahaya said, adding that the government and people of Gombe State share deeply in the grief of the affected families and the entire Pindiga community.

He assured residents that the incident would be thoroughly investigated, stressing that the crime would not be ignored.

He also revealed that the Nigeria Police and other security agencies had already commenced intensive investigations, with directives issued for all necessary resources to be deployed to track down the perpetrators, secure the safe release of the abducted victims and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.

The governor reaffirmed his administration’s zero-tolerance stance on criminality, warning that Gombe State would not be a haven for criminals or their accomplices. He added that security operations across the state would be reinforced, intelligence gathering strengthened and collaboration with local communities deepened to forestall further attacks.

The police and the state government jointly appealed to residents to remain calm, vigilant and cooperative, urging members of the public to disclose credible information that could assist ongoing investigations.