Gombe Police Rescue Cleric Locked Up Over Ramadan Dispute

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in Gombe State have confirmed the rescue of a cleric who was allegedly locked inside a house by aggrieved youths in Birin Fulani community of Nafada Local Government Area over allegations of offensive remarks during Ramadan Tafsir preaching.

The cleric, Abubakar Mahmoud Puma, from Akko Local Government Area, was reportedly confined on Sunday after a group of youths believed to belong to the Darika sect accused him of making abusive and derogatory comments about their leaders.

According to DSP Buhari Abdullahi, the spokesman for the Gombe State Police Command, the cleric had been deployed to Birin Fulani to conduct the 2026 Ramadan Tafsir by the national headquarters of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS) with headquarters in Jos.

DSP Buhari explained that the incident occurred around 3:00 a.m. when they received reports of a disturbance in the community and the Divisional Police Officer mobilised officers to the scene to restore calm.

“Upon arrival, it was discovered that the cleric had been locked in a house by aggrieved youths,” the police said.

The officers reportedly engaged the youths in dialogue, leading to the safe release of the cleric without injury.

He said no life was lost and normalcy has been restored in the area.

DSP Buhari noted that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Umar Ahmed Chuso, has ordered an investigation into the incident to determine both the immediate and underlying causes of the action taken by the youths.

The command also warned residents against spreading unverified information on social media, noting that such actions could heighten tension and mislead the public.