THE Bauchi State Police Command has arrested a 19-year-old woman, Esther Gambo, for allegedly kidnapping and killing two seven-year-old girls in the Toro Local Government Area of the state.
The spokesperson of the command, CSP Ahmed Wakil, who confirmed the incident in a statement said the tragic murder triggered violent protests by local Muslim youths, leading to burning of churches.
Wakil said that the suspect lured the victims, Khadija Sama’ila and A’isha Dahiru, under the pretext of helping them and later killed the girls in a maize farm.
According to the PPRO, the suspect allegedly committed the act to gain access to a new-born baby belonging to one Nafisa Dahiri.
“On 22 July 2025, at about 1500 hours, a 19-year-old individual, Esther Gambo, 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,” the statement read.
“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 new-born victim.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused, Esther Gambo, lured the girls intending to obtain a new-born 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.
“In the aftermath of this 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, 16 suspects have been arrested in connection with the case, including: Abbas Abdullahi, 20, Mubarak Auwal, 19, Abdullahi Muhammad (Alias P.A), 19, Dauda Abdullahi, 19, Abubakar Sama’ila, 18, Abdulmutallib Ibrahim, 18, Yazid Auwal, 20, Abdulrahman Ibrahim, 17, Abdulwahid Sulaiman, 17, Salihu Shuaibu, 20, Sirajo Halliru, 24, Musayib Abdullahi, 21, Ibrahim Abubakar, 19, Esther Idi, 19, Gambo Yakubu, 20, and Idi Bitrus, 50 years.
“CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu 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 individuals’ rights regardless of 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.”
