Terror in Pindiga: Gunmen Strike Gombe

The quiet of a Sunday morning was shattered in Pindiga town as a brutal raid left a trail of blood and missing loved ones. In the early hours of December 28, 2025, while most residents were still deep in sleep, a group of armed attackers descended upon the Akko Local Government Area. By the time the sun rose, two young people were dead and six others had been spirited away into the shadows of the surrounding wilderness.

According to the Gombe State Police Command, the nightmare began around 3:30 a.m. The gunmen first targeted a residence situated along the Pindiga–Kashere Road, a stretch that became the epicenter of the morning’s violence. The attackers forced their way into the home, unleashing a volley of gunfire that targeted those inside without hesitation.

Among those caught in the crossfire were 31-year-old Yusuf Mohammed and 28-year-old Faiza Mohammed. The duo sustained critical gunshot wounds during the assault. While the gunmen were finishing their raid on the first house, they seized 16-year-old Zainab Mohammed Yusuf, dragging her away as their first captive of the night.

The wounded were eventually rushed to the Cottage Hospital in Pindiga by frantic neighbors and family members. However, the efforts of the medical staff proved futile against the severity of the injuries. Doctors later confirmed that both Yusuf and Faiza had succumbed to their wounds, adding a somber layer of grief to a community already paralyzed by fear.

The violence did not end with the first household. The marauders moved with chilling precision to a nearby property owned by Alhaji Yayaji Abdullahi. In this second phase of the attack, the gunmen focused on abductions rather than immediate fatalities. They seized Abdullahi’s wife, 35-year-old Summai Yayaji, along with two of the couple’s young children.

The children, identified as 11-year-old Al’amin and 14-year-old Fatima, were taken alongside their mother. The sight of a mother and her children being forced into the night has left the local population in a state of profound shock. The total number of those taken from the two homes reached six, leaving several families waiting in agony for news or a ransom demand.

Evidence of the sheer firepower used by the attackers was scattered across the crime scenes. DSP Buhari Abdullahi, the Gombe State Police spokesperson, revealed that investigators recovered six empty AK-47 shells and one live round of ammunition. The presence of such weaponry highlights the sophisticated and lethal nature of the criminal elements operating in the region.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the police command has moved to restore a sense of security to the traumatized town. DSP Abdullahi assured the public that the authorities are not folding their arms. Security operations have been significantly ramped up in Akko Local Government Area, with a focused mission to track the kidnappers’ escape route and bring the victims home.

A notable feature of the current rescue mission is the collaboration between formal and informal security structures. The police have integrated local hunters and vigilante groups into their search parties. These local groups are often credited with a deep knowledge of the difficult terrain and forests where kidnappers typically hide their victims, making them essential allies in such high-stakes operations.

The Pindiga community now sits in a tense silence, punctuated only by the patrols of security vehicles. Residents are calling for more permanent security posts along the Pindiga–Kashere Road, noting that the late-night vulnerability of the area has been exploited before. The loss of Yusuf and Faiza serves as a grim reminder of the high cost of the current security challenges facing the state.

As of Monday, the kidnappers have not yet made contact with the families of the six victims. The police continue to urge anyone with useful information to come forward, stressing that community intelligence is often the key to breaking such cases. The focus remains on the safe return of Zainab, Summai, Al’amin, Fatima, and the others who were taken during the dawn raid.

This latest incident adds to the growing concerns over rural security in Gombe State. While the authorities have promised a swift resolution, the psychological scars left on the survivors and the families of the deceased will take much longer to heal. For now, the people of Pindiga can only watch and wait as the search parties comb the bushes for any sign of their missing neighbors.