Woman arrested over alleged baby theft, killing of 2 young girls

A 19-year-old woman, Esther Gambo, has been taken into custody by the Bauchi State Police Command over her alleged involvement in the abduction of a newborn and the murder of two young girls.

The arrest was confirmed in a statement released on Thursday by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil.

According to the release, Gambo, who hails from Lemoro Village in Toro Local Government Area, reportedly lured two seven-year-old girls, Khadija Sama’ila and A’isha Dahiru, from Unguwan Sarkin Yaki Village.

Wakil said law enforcement officers swiftly mobilised in response to the report, working alongside community vigilantes.

“They successfully recovered the deceased bodies of the young girls, apprehended Esther Gambo, and rescued a kidnapped newborn victim,” he stated.

Further investigation, Wakil noted, showed that Gambo’s motive was to take a female infant belonging to one Nafisa Dahiru. After taking the child, she allegedly led the two girls to a nearby maize farm where she used a machete to kill them before escaping.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused, Esther Gambo, lured the girls intending to obtain a newborn female child belonging to Nafisa Dahiru. Following her acquisition of the baby, Esther allegedly led the two girls to a nearby maize farm, where she unlawfully ended their lives with a machete before fleeing the scene,” Wakil explained.

The incident reportedly sparked a wave of violent protests in the community, mainly led by irate youths. Several churches were set ablaze, and there was an attempt to torch the Tulu Divisional Police Headquarters.

“Reinforcements from the Area Command Toro and neighbouring divisions were deployed to restore order, successfully repelling the aggressive actions against the police station. As a result of this unrest, sixteen suspects have been arrested in connection with the case, including Abbas Abdullahi, 20 years, Mubarak Auwal, 19 years, Abdullahi Muhammad (Alias P.A), 19 years, Dauda Abdullahi, 19 years, Abubakar Sama’ila, 18 years, Abdulmutallib Ibrahim, 18 years, Yazid Auwal, 20 years, Abdulrahman Ibrahim, 17 years, Abdulwahid Sulaiman, 17 years, Salihu Shuaibu, 20 years, Sirajo Halliru, 24 years, Musayib Abdullahi, 21 years, Ibrahim Abubakar, 19 years, Esther Idi, 19 years, Gambo Yakubu, 20 years, and Idi Bitrus, 50 years,” the statement listed.

Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, urged citizens to maintain peace and allow the law to take its course. He warned against any actions that could undermine law enforcement processes.

He emphasised the importance of respecting the rule of law and urged residents not to resort to violence.

The Commissioner called on everyone to respect the rights of individuals, regardless of the circumstances, and highlighted that law enforcement must remain in the hands of trained professionals.

He reassured the public that a thorough investigation is underway and encouraged everyone to remain calm as the situation is addressed appropriately.