Bauchi Police avert religious crisis in Toro, arrest suspected murderer, 16 arsonists

A tragic incident of alleged abduction and murder of two children by one Esther Gambo, has led to public unrest along religious divide in Toro LGA  of Bauchi.

In the midst of the development, the State Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori  has affirmed the commitment of the Command in ensuring that  justice was served to  all as the suspect and others have been arrested while investigations have commenced.

According to the Command PPRO, CSP Mohammed Ahmed Wakil, “On 22 July 2025, at about 1500 hours, a 19-year-old individual, Esther Gambo, from Lemoro Village in Toro Local Government Area, Bauchi State, reportedly enticed two seven-year-old girls, Khadija Sama’ila and A’isha Dahiru, from Unguwan Sarkin Yaki Village.”

The two little girls were later found to have been killed by the suspect for reasons yet to be identified.

Ahmed Wakil stated that 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.

The PPRO added that, “Upon receipt of the report, a team of Police Officers, collaborating with local vigilante groups, promptly responded. They successfully recovered the deceased bodies of the young girls, apprehended Esther Gambo, and rescued a kidnapped newborn victim.”

In the aftermath of the incident, public unrest ensued, predominantly among the local Muslim youths, resulting in violent protests, including the arson of Churches and attempts to set the Tulu Divisional Police Headquarters on fire.

Reinforcements from the Area Command in Toro and neighbouring Divisions were deployed to restore order and successfully repelling the aggressive actions against the Police station.

As a result of the 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 and Abubakar Sama’ila, 18 years .

Others are: Abdulmutallib Ibrahim, 18 years, Yazid Auwal, 20 years, Abdulrahman Ibrahim, 17 years, Abdulwahid Sulaiman, 17 years and Salihu Shuaibu, 20 years .

The rest are: 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 .

CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu emphasised the importance of upholding the law and maintaining public order within Bauchi State.

He expressed concern over recent actions that undermined legal principles and appealed to community members to refrain from taking the law into their own hands.

The Commissioner called on everyone to respect the individuals’ rights regardless of 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.