Bauchi State Police Command has arrested one Esther Gambo for the alleged theft of a child and murder.

According to a press release issued on Thursday by the command?s Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil, 19-year-old Esther from Lemoro Village in Toro Local Government Area, Bauchi State, reportedly enticed two seven-year-old girls, Khadija Sama?ila and A?isha Dahiru, from Unguwan Sarkin Yaki Village.

He explained that upon receipt of the report, a team of police officers, collaborating with local vigilante groups, promptly responded.

?They successfully recovered the deceased bodies of the young girls, apprehended Esther Gambo, and rescued a kidnapped newborn victim.

?Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused, Esther Gambo, lured the girls intending to obtain a newborn female child belonging to Nafisa Dahiru. Following her acquisition of the baby, Esther allegedly led the two girls to a nearby maize farm, where she unlawfully ended their lives with a machete before fleeing the scene,? Wakil explained.

The PPRO noted that in the aftermath of the incident, public unrest ensued, predominantly among the local Muslim youth, resulting in violent protests, including the arson of churches and attempts to set fire to the Tulu Divisional Police Headquarters.

?Reinforcements from the Area Command Toro and neighbouring divisions were deployed to restore order, successfully repelling the aggressive actions against the police station. As a result of this unrest, sixteen suspects have been arrested in connection with the case, including Abbas Abdullahi, 20 years, Mubarak Auwal, 19 years, Abdullahi Muhammad (Alias P.A), 19 years, Dauda Abdullahi, 19 years, Abubakar Sama?ila, 18 years, Abdulmutallib Ibrahim, 18 years, Yazid Auwal, 20 years, Abdulrahman Ibrahim, 17 years, Abdulwahid Sulaiman, 17 years, Salihu Shuaibu, 20 years, Sirajo Halliru, 24 years, Musayib Abdullahi, 21 years, Ibrahim Abubakar, 19 years, Esther Idi, 19 years, Gambo Yakubu, 20 years, and Idi Bitrus, 50 years, ?the statement listed.

The PPRO stated that the command Commissioner of Police Sani-Omolori Aliyu has emphasised the importance of upholding the law and maintaining public order within Bauchi State.

He expressed concern over recent actions that undermine legal principles and appealed to community members to refrain from taking the law into their own hands.

The Commissioner called on everyone to respect the rights of individuals, regardless of the circumstances, and highlighted that law enforcement must remain in the hands of trained professionals.

He reassured the public that a thorough investigation is underway and encouraged everyone to remain calm as the situation is addressed appropriately. (The PUNCH, excluding headline)

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