Yobe State Police Command has announced the arrest of a suspected drug baron and a notorious kidnapping kingpin as part of its ongoing crackdown on drug trafficking and violent crime in the state.
In the first operation, officers from Yindiski Divisional Police Headquarters in Potiskum raided a suspected drug warehouse on 17 July 2026, acting on intelligence.
Dungus Abdulkarim,the Police Public Relations Officer confirmed the arrests in Damaturu on Saturday.
They arrested Alhaji Abbas, 35, from Danchuwa Village in Potiskum Local Government Area.
During the raid, police recovered large quantities of illicit drugs, including cartons of Tramadol and Exzol tablets, as well as other hard drugs. The seizures included eight cartons of assorted illicit substances and one-and-a-half Ghana-Must-Go bags filled with Tramadol and Exzol tablets. Officers also recovered ₦835,500 suspected to be proceeds from drug sales.
The operation faced violent resistance from other members of the syndicate attempting to free the suspect. Police repelled the attack, though several officers sustained minor injuries and one police vehicle was damaged. The injured personnel have been treated in hospital. The arrested suspect is cooperating with investigators, who are working to apprehend other fleeing members of the group.
In a separate operation on 15 July, detectives from Potiskum Area Command arrested Saidu Mohammed, 40, from Jalam Village in Bauchi State. He is suspected of being a kidnapping kingpin and armed robbery suspect who had been on the police watchlist.
The arrest followed a complaint received on 11 July from a victim who reported receiving a threatening phone call on 10 July demanding ₦10m and threatening his life if he did not comply. Police launched an intelligence-led investigation that led to the suspect’s swift arrest.
Preliminary investigations indicate that Mohammed allegedly operated across Bauchi, Yobe, and Gombe states. Further probes are ongoing to track down other members of the syndicate.
Usman Kanfani Jibrin, the Commissioner of Police in Yobe State, commended the officers involved for their professionalism and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling drug trafficking and ensuring the safety of residents.
