Three young men identified as members of the notorious criminal gang known as the Shilla Boys have been arrested in Yola for alleged robbery and a planned act of violence.
One suspect is being held for allegedly attacking a resident and snatching his phone, while the other two are accused of possessing knives and cutlasses allegedly intended for use in causing mayhem at a birthday party.
The Adamawa State Police Command, which made the arrests, said the first suspect, Abdulmalik Mohammed, 22, of the Zango area of Yola, armed with a cutlass, attacked his victim and dispossessed him of his mobile phone.
A statement from the command said that after the victim raised the alarm, members of the public apprehended the suspect and attempted to lynch him before police operatives arrived and took him into custody.
The statement, signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Nguroje, said preliminary investigations linked the suspect to a series of theft cases within the Yola metropolis, including the theft of a sewing machine at Tsohon Kasuwa.
Nguroje stated that on June 14, 2026, police operatives on confidence-building patrol arrested two suspected Shilla gang members identified as Abba Abdullahi, 17, and Abdulrahman Saidu, 16.
He explained that the suspects were found in possession of knives believed to have been intended for use in committing criminal acts at a birthday party.
He added that the Adamawa State Commissioner of Police, Kabir Umar Hassan, commended the operatives for their proactive response and professionalism.
