The Gombe State Police Command has arrested an eight-member syndicate allegedly involved in armed robbery and internet fraud, following a complaint lodged by two residents earlier this month.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the command’s spokesman, Buhari Abdullahi, disclosed that officers acted on a report from Hassan Muhammad and Jibril Hassan, who claimed that unknown assailants armed with cutlasses had broken into their residences and stolen their mobile phones.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects exploited personal data extracted from the stolen devices to gain unauthorised access to the victims’ bank accounts. Mr Abdullahi confirmed that the fraudsters withdrew ₦296,790 from a GTBank account and further obtained a quick loan amounting to ₦205,205 using the compromised credentials.
Through intelligence-led operations and technical analysis, operatives traced one fraudulent transaction to a Moniepoint account, leading to the arrest of the prime suspect, a computer science student at the Federal Polytechnic, Kaltungo. His subsequent confession facilitated the apprehension of seven other accomplices.
Investigations have linked the syndicate to more than 13 similar incidents across Wuro Birji, Riyal, Bomala, and Jauro Jatau communities within Gombe State.
Mr Abdullahi assured that efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing suspects, while urging residents to remain vigilant, safeguard their personal information, and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies.