Court Jails Shilla Gangster 12 Yrs, Orders N527,000 Compensation To Victims

The Adamawa State Police Command has secured the conviction of an 18-year-old notorious ‘Shilla’ gang member, Suddais Shuaibu, popularly known as ‘Gafiya’.

He was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment without option of fine by the Chief Magistrate Court II, Yola.

The defendant was arraigned by the Commissioner of Police, Adamawa State Command, through the prosecuting officer, Inspector Kabiru Abubakar, on three separate First Information Reports (FIRs) bordering on theft, criminal conspiracy, extortion, and receiving stolen property, contrary to the relevant provisions of the Adamawa state penal Code Law, 2018.

The Court convicted and sentenced the defendant Two years imprisonment for theft,one  year imprisonment for criminal conspiracy sevenyears imprisonment for extortion on the first and second FIRs and two (2) years imprisonment for theft on the third FIR

All sentences were handed down without option of fine and are to run concurrently amounting to an effective 12-year jail term.

In addition to the custodial sentence, the Court ordered the convict to pay ₦527,000 as compensation to the victims across the three cases.

Investigation revealed that the convict unlawfully broke into the residence of Fatima Magaji at Ajiya Street, Jimeta, Yola North LGA, and stole an Infinix Smart 10 mobile phone valued at ₦125,000 a Tecno phone valued at ₦30,000, and an MP3 player valued at ₦3,000.

Further investigation established that the convict, in company of other gang members currently at large, attacked Usama Suleiman of Jambutu Ward, Yola North LGA, and forcefully dispossessed him of a Samsung Galaxy phone valued at ₦170,000 and a power bank valued at ₦20,000.

The convict was identified during the incident, arrested, and subsequently confessed to the crime, implicating one Adamu Mahmud, also known as Lakulaku, as the leader of the criminal gang.

The prosecution further established the defendant’s involvement in another case of theft and receiving stolen property.

When arraigned, the defendant pleaded guilty to all the charges, while the prosecution presented a witness whose testimony corroborated the defendant’s confessional statement, leading to his conviction.

The Commissioner of Police, Adamawa State Command, Kabiru Umar Hassan, commended the dedication and professionalism of the investigators and prosecutors whose diligent efforts resulted in the successful conviction.

He reaffirmed the Command’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that all criminal elements, particularly members of the notorious Shilla gangs, are identified, arrested, prosecuted, and made to face the full weight of the law.

The Commissioner further assured residents of the State that the ongoing crackdown on violent crimes and other criminal activities will be sustained, while urging members of the public to continue supporting the Police with timely and credible information that will aid in preventing and combating crime.