The Gombe State Police Command has arrested eight suspects believed to be members of a criminal syndicate involved in armed robbery and bank fraud across different communities in the state.

According to the police, the group allegedly targeted residents by stealing their mobile phones during robbery operations before using personal information stored on the devices to gain unauthorised access to victims' bank accounts.

The investigation started after two residents of Wuro Biriji in Akko Local Government Area reported that armed robbers attacked their homes on June 7, 2026, and made away with their mobile phones.Police investigations later revealed that ₦296,790 was fraudulently withdrawn from one victim's GTBank account.The suspects also allegedly obtained and cashed out a quick loan worth ₦205,205 using the stolen information.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, said technical analysis of the financial transactions traced part of the proceeds to a Moniepoint account connected to one of the suspects.

This led to the arrest of 19-year-old Mustapha Kabiru, also known as 'Musty Bobo', an ND II Computer Science student of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaltungo.

Police said he confessed to extracting information from stolen phones to carry out fraudulent banking transactions, and his statement helped investigators arrest seven additional suspects.

Further investigations suggest the group may have been responsible for more than 13 similar incidents in Wuro Biriji, Riyal, Bomala and Jauro Jatau communities.The police said investigations are still ongoing while efforts continue to arrest other suspected members who are still on the run.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Ahmed Chuso, commended the officers involved and urged residents to protect their personal information, secure their digital devices and report suspicious activities promptly.