By Abdulaziz Abubakar Damare

An Adamawa State Chief Magistrate Court II sitting in Yola has sentenced an 18-year-old notorious Shilla gang member, Suddais Shuaibu, popularly known as “Gafiya”, to 12 years imprisonment without the option of fine for offences bordering on theft, criminal conspiracy, extortion and receiving stolen property.

The conviction followed his arraignment by the Adamawa State Police Command through the prosecuting officer, Inspector Kabiru Abubakar, on three separate First Information Reports under the Adamawa State Penal Code Law, 2018. In addition to the jail term, the court ordered the convict to pay ₦527,000 as compensation to victims of the crimes.

Police investigations revealed that on June 10, 2026, the convict broke into the residence of Fatima Magaji at Ajiya Street in Jimeta, Yola North Local Government Area, and stole an Infinix Smart 10 phone worth ₦125,000, a Tecno phone valued at ₦30,000 and an MP3 player worth ₦3,000.

The police also established that on June 27, 2026, Shuaibu and other gang members still at large attacked Usama Suleiman in Jambutu Ward, Yola North LGA, and forcefully robbed him of a Samsung Galaxy phone valued at ₦170,000 and a power bank worth ₦20,000. The suspect was identified, arrested and later confessed to the crime, implicating one Adamu Mahmud, alias “Lakulaku”, as the leader of the criminal gang. He also admitted involvement in another case of theft and receiving stolen property before pleading guilty to all charges in court.

Reacting to the judgment, the Commissioner of Police in Adamawa State, CP Kabiru Umar Hassan, commended the investigators and prosecutors for securing the conviction. He reiterated the Command’s commitment to intensifying its crackdown on notorious Shilla gangs and other criminal elements across the state, while urging residents to continue providing timely and credible information to support crime prevention and law enforcement.