Police operatives in Yobe state have arrested a suspected drug dealer and nabbed a man accused of leading a kidnapping gang that operated across multiple states. The Yobe State Police Command disclosed the arrests in a statement issued by its spokesman, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, on Saturday.
Officers from Yindiski Divisional Police Headquarters in Potiskum acted on intelligence to raid what they believed was a drug storage facility on July 17, 2026. The warehouse belonged to Alhaji Abbas, 35, from Danchuwa Village in Potiskum Local Government Area.
Police seized eight cartons of assorted hard drugs during the operation. They also recovered one and a half "Ghana-Must-Go" bags filled with Tramadol and Exzol tablets, plus N835,500 in cash believed to be money from drug sales.
Abbas was arrested at the scene, though members of his gang fought back violently and tried to free him. Officers repelled the attack, though several police personnel suffered minor injuries during the clash.
"The injured officers have been taken to hospital and are responding to treatment," the command said. Police are still hunting other members of the criminal network while Abbas cooperates with investigators.
In a separate case, Potiskum Area Command arrested Saidu Mohammed, 40, over suspected kidnapping and armed robbery. Mohammed, from Jalam Village in Bauchi State, had been under police surveillance for some time.
The arrest came after a victim filed a complaint on July 11, 2026, reporting a threatening call he received the previous night. The caller, using the number 09079401479, demanded N10,000,000 and threatened to kill the victim if he didn't leave town.
Detectives used technical and intelligence methods to track down Mohammed. Police found that he allegedly committed crimes across Bauchi, Yobe and Gombe states, operating a wider network than initially suspected.
"Efforts are ongoing to arrest other members of the syndicate," the command stated. Police are continuing their investigation into both cases as they work to dismantle the criminal organisations.
