Police Nab Phone Snatcher, Five Suspected Thugs in Bauchi Raid

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested a suspected phone snatcher and five alleged thugs in separate operations across Bauchi metropolis.

The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday.

According to Habib, the phone-snatching incident occurred on August 25, 2026, during a Maulud procession along Kofar Fada.

He said a 25-year-old resident of Unguwan Mangororin Sale Toro, Bauchi Local Government Area, reported that a 20-year-old man identified as Abdullahi Abubakar of Unguwan Ardo allegedly snatched his mobile phone valued at N50,000, along with N30,000 cash.

The PPRO said the victim attempted to apprehend the suspect, but Abubakar allegedly handed the stolen phone to two accomplices identified as Al-Amin, alias Busy, and Babale Sule.

Sule allegedly struck the victim on the forehead with a stick, inflicting an injury, while Abubakar escaped from the scene.

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Habib said the victim was treated and discharged at Under 5 Hospital, Jahun, after which operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) launched a manhunt for the suspect.

“Following swift action by VCRU operatives, Abdullahi Abubakar was traced and arrested. Efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing members of the syndicate and recover the stolen exhibit,” he said.

In a separate operation, police responded to a distress call at about 9pm on Wednesday over an alleged disturbance involving thugs armed with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons in the Mangororin Sale Toro area, through Shingen Abba.

The VCRU team, working with community leaders, arrested three suspects identified as 18-year-old Manauwir Isa, 17-year-old Ayuba Umar Hassan and 18-year-old Umar Shuaibu, all residents of Mangororin Sale Toro.

The command also received another distress call at about 12:30am over a fight involving suspected thugs at Jaja, through the Jahun area of Bauchi.

Patrol teams attached to the VCRU responded and arrested 20-year-old Yahaya Abdullahi of Gwabba, through Nassarawan Jahun, and 17-year-old Abdulrazak Rabiu of the same address.

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According to Habib, the two suspects were found in possession of a sharpened cutlass.

He said the arrests brought the total number of suspects detained in connection with the incidents to six, including the alleged phone snatcher.

“The three cases are under investigation, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing accomplices,” the PPRO stated.

The Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, commended the operatives for their prompt response and professionalism.

Aliyu reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling criminal activities across the state and urged residents to provide timely information to the police to help prevent crime.

The command assured residents that it would continue to take measures to protect lives and property across Bauchi State.

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