This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday, August 30, 2026, by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Yusuf Adamu Aliyu, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Usman Kanfani Jibrin.
The Command said the arrests were recorded through intelligence-led policing, joint security operations and sustained patrols aimed at disrupting criminal activities.
One of the cases involved a resident of Baimari, Goni Abdullahi, who reported to the Violent Crimes Response Unit in Damaturu on August 16 that he had received threatening phone calls and was allegedly forced to part with N130,000.
Following an investigation, police arrested 32-year-old Auwal Mallam Ari of Goneri Hamlet, Yunusari Local Government Area.
The suspect allegedly confessed during interrogation and disclosed that he and his accomplices had previously extorted N500,000 from another resident of Goneri.
He reportedly identified one Audu Baimari as the alleged leader of the group. Baimari is currently at large, while efforts to arrest him are ongoing.
Police said a mobile phone and SIM card allegedly used in the operation were recovered, along with N630,000 suspected to be proceeds from the alleged offences.
In another operation, police and personnel from sister security agencies, supported by members of the Vigilante Group, conducted a night raid on identified criminal hotspots across Damaturu metropolis on August 26.
The operation, which was led by the VCRU, resulted in the arrest of 32 persons. Items recovered included Tramadol and Exol tablets, containers and pipes suspected to have been used for inhaling substances, as well as spark lighters.
The Command said the suspects would be prosecuted after investigations are concluded.
Similarly, police officers attached to the Garin-Alkali Division arrested two men along the Baimari-Garin-Alkali Road at about 11 p.m. on August 29.
The suspects, identified as 25year-old Okasha Alhaji Sani and 20-year-old Ibrahim Dan-Mallam, both from Azbak Village in Bade LGA, were intercepted while riding a red Boxer motorcycle.
Two solar panels suspected to have been stolen were reportedly recovered from them.
According to the police, the suspects confessed to stealing the panels from a rice farm belonging to Abdullahi Guba in Guba Village.
The Command said further investigations would be conducted to determine their possible involvement in other criminal activities before their arraignment.
The Commissioner of Police commended the officers and other security personnel involved in the operations, describing their efforts as crucial to maintaining security across the state.
He assured residents that the Command would continue to deploy intelligence-driven and coordinated strategies to tackle criminal activities and protect lives and property.
The police also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and provide credible and timely information that could assist security agencies in preventing and detecting crime.
