By Ade Oyeyemi
The Gombe State Police Command has arrested two young men in connection with the alleged robbery and killing of the wife of a serving police officer in the state.
The suspects, identified as 20-year-old Muhammad Bashir Sale, also known as “Full,” and 18-year-old Musa Sale Ahmad, alias “Abba,” were apprehended on Saturday, shortly after the incident at Wuro Shie Quarters, Gombe.
The command disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by its Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Buhari Abdullahi.
According to the police, the incident occurred around 4:35am on September 26 when the assailants, armed with machetes and cutlasses, reportedly invaded the residence of Inspector Salisu Waziri, a member of the Safer Highway Patrol.
The attackers were said to have attempted to dispossess Waziri’s wife, Mrs Aishatu Salisu, of her mobile phone during the early-morning raid.
The police said the woman raised an alarm during the attack, prompting one of the assailants to allegedly stab her with a machete before the attackers fled the scene, leaving the phone behind.
The statement said officers from the Pantami Divisional Patrol Team responded to the distress call and rushed the victim to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, where she was pronounced dead.
Following the incident, the command said it launched an investigation and intensified efforts to track down those responsible for the killing.
The police subsequently arrested Sale and Ahmad, both residents of Wuro Shie Quarters, in connection with the incident.
The command said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects confessed to their alleged involvement in the crime, while one sharp knife was recovered as an exhibit.
The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Ahmed Chuso, ordered a discreet and thorough investigation into the incident, directing detectives to ensure that anyone found culpable faces prosecution.
The command urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons, movements and activities to the nearest police station or formation.
It assured members of the public that further updates on the investigation would be made available as developments emerge.
