Police Arrest 18-yr-Old Suspected Burglar, 5 Others In Yobe

The Yobe State Police Command has arrested an 18-year-old suspected burglar, Shettima Adamu, along with five alleged accomplices, over cases of criminal conspiracy, trespass, theft, and receiving stolen property in the state.

The arrests followed complaints from shop owners in the Bayan Tasha and Nayi Nawa areas of Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, over repeated incidents of burglary and theft involving goods valued at approximately ₦530,000.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Dungus Abdulkarim, said operatives of the ‘A’ Divisional Police Headquarters arrested Adamu at about 4:00 a.m. on February 2, 2026.

“On February 2, 2026, at about 0400 hours, operatives of the A Divisional Police Headquarters arrested one Shettima Adamu, aged 18, of Nayi Nawa area, following multiple complaints from shop owners over recurring incidents of burglary and theft,” the statement read.

SP Abdulkarim said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect voluntarily confessed to the crime and led police operatives to five accomplices allegedly involved in buying and selling of stolen items.

The accomplices were identified as Abdullahi Abubakar, Mohd Suleman, Hassan Adamu, Mohd Hayatu, all aged 20, and Mohd Nura, 19. All the suspects are residents of the same area.

“The suspects confessed to the crime, while some of the stolen items were recovered and duly marked as exhibits,” the police spokesperson said.

In a related development, the command also confirmed the arrest of a 38-year-old man, Abdulrazaq Abdul’Azeez, in connection with the robbery of a tricycle, popularly known as Keke Napep, in Potiskum Local Government Area of the State.

According to the police, the Potiskum Divisional Police Headquarters received a distress call at about 3:30 p.m. on February 2, 2026, reporting that a tricycle operator had been robbed and rendered unconscious after a harmful substance was allegedly used on him.

“Following sustained intelligence-led investigation and collaboration with the Keke Napep Union, the stolen tricycle was intercepted at a police checkpoint in Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State,” Abdulkarim said.

He added that the suspect, a resident of Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State, had been brought back to Yobe State for further investigation, while two other suspects involved in the robbery were still at large. The recovered tricycle has been secured as an exhibit.

Reacting to the arrests, the Commissioner of Police, CP Emmanuel Ado, reiterated the command’s commitment to crime-fighting across the state.

“Crime is not a business, and it never pays. There is no safe haven for criminals in Yobe State. Youths are advised to embrace legitimate means of livelihood,” he said.