Bandits Kill 70-Year-Old Man, Abduct Sons and Others in Coordinated Attacks on Gombe Communities
Gombe State, Nigeria — Armed bandits have carried out a series of violent attacks on villages in the Pindiga District of Akko Local Government Area in Gombe State, killing an elderly man and abducting several residents in renewed security challenges for the region.
According to a statement from the Gombe State Police Command, the attacks began in Rahama Village around 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, when suspected bandits stormed the community via Gagarabami and shot and killed 70-year-old Tela Bello Ahmadu. After killing the elderly man, the assailants abducted his two sons, identified as Saleh Tela, 25, and Abdullahi Tela, 35.
Following the first raid, the same group of gunmen reportedly moved on to Lambo Village where they abducted three other residents: Babayo Garba, 30; Malam Abba Musa, 45; and Baayo Bayi, 20. During the state police’s tactical response, some victims were rescued, but Baayo Bayi was caught in crossfire and later confirmed dead.
Police forces, working alongside members of local Operation Hattara, vigilante groups and hunters, engaged the assailants in a gun duel. The joint security operation neutralised three suspected bandits, recovered two AK-47 rifles, ammunition, magazines, and four motorcycles, and secured the release of two kidnapped residents. Other perpetrators reportedly escaped into the forest with gunshot injuries.
The rescued victims were taken to a local hospital for medical examination while efforts continue to locate the remaining abducted victims and apprehend those still at large, authorities said.
The incident highlights the persistent security challenges facing rural communities in parts of northern Nigeria, where banditry — involving armed raids, killings, kidnappings for ransom and extortion — remains a major threat to residents’ safety and livelihoods. Local authorities and security forces have vowed to intensify patrols and preventative measures to protect vulnerable communities and restore confidence among residents.
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