Gombe (Nigeria) — Police Command in Gombe has paraded nine suspected armed robbers, alleged to have been terrorizing people in parts of the state including Dogo Ruwa village, Kuri Village and Gombe metropolis among others.
State Commissioner of Police, Austin Iwar while parading the suspects said, two suspects, along one other, who died in the cause of the arrest confessed to have committed the crime in Oando, MRS, Total, Nasara, Conoil filling stations in Gombe metropolis. They were arrested with a Honda Civic car with registration number AH 188 SKK.
He added that two of them from Bauchi State and one other from Sokoto state were arrested in the last two weeks, having been robbing petrol filling stations in the last five months.
Shedding more light on behalf of victims of the robbery attacks, Chairman of Petroleum Dealers Association in Gombe, Mohammed Bappa, said they lost three persons during the robbery attacks within the last five months.
The other seven, according to the police, specialize in blocking people around Kuri and Dogon Ruwa axis of Yamaltu-Deba and Kaltungo Local Government Area of the State.
They were paraded with three dane guns, two axes, one locally made pistol, two cutlasses, one Haojue Suzuki motorcycle, one simba generator, two knives and two swords.
The Commissioner said all the arrests were as a result of a tip-off from members of the public and that all the suspects would be arraigned in court immediately, having made confessional statements.
Meanwhile, the command has began a four-day Basic Community Policing Skills Workshop to 23 Divisional Police Officers (DPO’s) aimed at deepening their knowledge and skills in Community Policing.
Mr. Iwar while declaring the workshop open at the State Police Command Headquarters stated that, for the Police to effectively and efficiently protect the lives and property of the citizenry, it must work in partnership with all stakeholders.
He said this is more so that, while the Police cannot be everywhere, the communities exist everywhere.
According to him, “The State Police Command has decided to re-invigorate Police Partnership Approach to Policing with the commencement of this training in line with the policy directives of the inspector-General of Police Ibrahim K Idris, whose administration is people centred policing style as the cardinal focus”.
“The essence of this workshop is to refresh officers’ competence in basic policing skills, predicated on practical Police Community Partnership Approach to policing components, for improved service delivery in line with the community safety and crime prevention strategy of the Gombe State Police Command”, Mr. Iwar explained.
Gombe (Nigeria) — National Lottery Trust Fund donated sports equipment to 53 public primary schools in Gombe State northeast with strong warning to the Head Teachers of the beneficiaries schools.
Executive Secretary of the Fund, Habu Gumel, stated this while speaking during the presentation of the sport equipment to the Primary schools Head Teachers on Monday in Gombe.
He said the exercise is part of the Federal Government’s initiative aimed at providing sports equipment to 2,000 public primary schools in the country and government’s commitment to uplifting and promoting grassroots sports development in the country.
He called on the benefiting schools to protect the equipment, saying, “we have alerted security agencies to apprehend any person who diverts these Federal Government intervention materials.”
Mr. Gumel said that the National Lottery Act 2005 empowers it to utilise proceeds generated from all national lottery operations for execution of good projects across the country.
“I call upon our lottery operators and licensees, and indeed business promoters that engage in any form of promotional lottery to keep to their obligations of remitting 20 percent lottery proceeds to the Trust Fund. As government will no longer tolerate sharp practices that undermines the growth and development of lottery good causes in the country,” Gumel said.
Also speaking, Acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Habiba Lawal, represented by the permanent secretary, Special Duties, Amina Shamaki, said the distributed sports equipment were purchased at the instance of directive by President Muhammadu Buhari to the NLTF, to the effect that the money in their custody should be utilized for ‘good causes’.
She said that 50 per cent of the money generated through lottery activities was paid back to those who actually play the lottery.
Deputy Governor of Gombe State, Charles Iliya, assured the NLTF that the benefitting schools would make judicious use of the sports equipment, urging the Trust Fund to ensure that all schools in the state were touched and the distribution sustained.
Distributed items include equipment for volleyball, basketball, football as well as kits for wrestling, Table Tennis and badminton among others.
Image caption Police found several human body parts during a raid in a traditional healer’s house
Fear has gripped the village of Shayamoya in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province after the discovery of a decapitated body.
The family of Zanele Hlatshwayo, 25, who has been missing since July, believe she was a victim of a cannibalism ring that has so far led to the arrest of five men.
Her decomposing body was found after a man who claimed to be a traditional healer handed himself over to police last week and confessed that he was tired of eating human flesh.
Police officers had initially dismissed his statement, according to reports.
It is only after he produced a bloodied hand and foot as proof that he was immediately arrested. He led them to his rented home, where police found eight human ears in a cooking pot.
It is believed they were to be served to his customers, who were told they had magic properties and would convey money, power and protection.
Several other body parts were found stuffed in a suitcase.
Image caption Zanele Hlatshwayo’s body was found buried under these rocks
Ms Hlatshwayo’s bloodied and torn clothes were found among the human remains in the traditional healer’s home.
The clothes were identified by her family.
However, police are still waiting for DNA test results to confirm if the remains belong to the mother of a two-year-old boy.
Ms Hlatshwayo’s family is yet to bury her. As I entered the Hlatshwayo homestead, I was greeted by a solemn hymn and the cries by the grieving family.
“We can only imagine how she begged for her life, she died an extremely painful death,” said her elder sister Nozipho Ntelele as she wiped away tears.
Image caption Nozipho Ntelele, in white top, said Ms Hlatshwayo’s killing was brutal
“Her clothes were covered in grass and dust, which is a clear indication that she had been in a struggle to save her life,” said Ms Ntelele.
Foul smell
The traditional healer lived in a rented hut in Rensburgdrift near Escourt.
He is nicknamed “Mkhonyovu” which loosely translated means “the corrupt one or corruption” in the local Zulu language.
He rented the hut from Philani Magubane, whose brother was also arrested for being the traditional healer’s alleged accomplice.
Image caption The traditional healer rented this hut from a brother of one of his accomplices Image caption Police had locked the hut but items used in rituals can be seen through a crack in the door
“I was shocked to find out that my younger brother fell for the traditional healer’s fairytales – he promised them wealth when he was just as poor as I am,” Mr Magubane told me.
He said that one his tenants had been complaining about the smell of rotting meat that was coming from his next door neighbour.
“Mkhonyovu only moved into the house two months ago – I had no idea that he kept human remains here because I don’t live in the same yard,” said Mr Magubane.
Mr Magubane said he believes that his brother, along with three other young men, were lured by the traditional healer to work for him as they had been struggling to find jobs.
It is alleged that he sent the young men to dig graves in the middle of the night so he could make magic charms known locally as “muti”.
Residents confess to eating human flesh
Mthembeni Majola, a local politician, convened a community meeting shortly after the cannibalism suspects made their first court appearance last week.
Image caption Mthembeni Majola said some villagers had willingly eaten human flesh
“Most residents were shocked by this and now live in fear,” but Mr Majola says others were not surprised.
“A few confessed to have consulted with the traditional healer and knowingly ate human flesh,” he said.
“But what has angered most of us here is how gullible our people have become,” saying that Mkhonyovu’s customers were livestock thieves who were told he could make them invincible, even bulletproof, so that the police could not shoot them, said Mr Majola.
Phepsile Maseko, from South Africa’s Traditional Healer’s Organisation, has condemned the alleged cannibalism practices.
She said “Mkhonyovu” that was a fake healer who wanted to enrich himself and had brought “our sacred practices into disrepute”.
Image caption Phepsile Maseko says that the discovery gives a bad name to traditional healers who are doing honest work
“Ritual killings and the use of human tissue are not part of traditional healing… this angers us as traditional healers because we have to constantly defend our honest work,” said Ms Maseko.
The five men, who were arraigned in court on Monday, amid public protests outside the courtroom, abandoned their bail request and will make another court appearance at the end of September.
This story is auto-generated from ‘BBC News’ syndicated feed and has not been edited by Africa Prime News staff.
Media captionMany people have had to be rescued from flood water
The US city of Houston is in the grip of the biggest storm in the history of the state of Texas, officials say.
More than 30in of rain (75cm) has fallen on parts of the city this weekend, turning main roads into rivers and making it impossible to move around other than by boat.
The city is expected to be deluged by a year’s rainfall within this week.
With rescue services overstretched as the rain continues, many people are having to fend for themselves.
Hundreds of roads have been closed across the city, hospitals have been evacuated and thousands of people are without electricity.
Image copyrightReutersImage caption Main roads in Houston have been turned into rivers Image copyrightReutersImage caption Many families have to fend for themselves to escape from the floods Image copyrightAFPImage caption Many roads across the city are unusable
Many schools are closed – as are the city’s two main airports, with runways completely flooded.
Up to 2,000 people have been rescued in and around Houston, as Tropical Storm Harvey continues to batter Texas with heavy rains. Helicopters are being used to pluck people from rooftops.
There are reports of possible deaths in submerged vehicles, but investigations continue, Chief Darryl Coleman of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said.
The US National Weather Service (NWS) says conditions are “unprecedented”. A “flash flood emergency” in in force across the Houston area, with travel near impossible.
Many shelters have been opened, including in a convention centre.
Forecasters predict “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding”, especially in large parts of south-eastern Texas.
There is little sign of any major improvement in the weather over the next seven days, forecasters say.
What help is being offered to flood victims?
Image copyrightReutersImage caption Helicopters have played a key role in evacuating people from flood-hit areas
With the emergency services under intense pressure and complaints among some residents that 911 emergency calls are not even being answered, hundreds of volunteers have made their way to Houston from all over the US.
They face difficult conditions because many of those stranded can only be rescued by air or by boat.
The US Coast Guard in Houston has requested more helicopters.
President Donald Trump is due to visit Texas on Tuesday to see for himself the damage caused by the storm. He signed a disaster proclamation on Friday, paving the way for federal cash to go towards the relief effort.
How serious is the flooding?
Forecasters have warned that it could worsen and become historic.
Insurance experts quoted by the Reuters news agency say it could equal the damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, widely reported to be the most expensive natural disaster in US history.
It was estimated that Katrina caused about $15bn worth of flood damage in the states of Louisiana and Mississippi.
But experts say at the moment it is too early to make detailed estimates of the damage to homes and businesses in Texas.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has urged residents not to call emergency services unless their situation is life-threatening and they need to be rescued.
“Don’t get on the road. Don’t assume this storm is over,” he said.
Officials in Harris County, of which Houston is the county seat, have asked people who own boats to help with rescues.
Image copyrightTexas Parks and WildlifeImage caption The oak tree, surrounded by a fence, remained standing while younger trees were blown over
Survival of the ancient oak tree
One of the oldest oak trees in the US has survived the storm, Texas parks officials have said.
The Big Tree at Goose Island State Park near Rockport is more than 1,000 years old, stands at 44ft (13.4m) and has a trunk diameter of 11ft (3.4m).
It stayed standing while other trees were blown over, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said.
“You don’t get old by being weak,” the department said on its website.
A plaque at the front of the tree reads: “I am a live oak tree and I am very old. I have seen spring return more than 1,000 times. I can remember hundreds of hurricanes, most I’d rather forget, but I withstood.”
Rescue efforts are also being hampered by strong winds. with some predictions that there will be a further 40in of rain before the storm subsides.
Houston is the country’s fourth biggest city, with 6.6m people living in the metropolitan area.
Meanwhile, Exxon Mobil has said it is shutting down the second-largest refinery in the country, at Baytown. The Texas Gulf Coast is a key centre of the US oil and gas industry.
Harvey began as a major category four hurricane – the first to make landfall in the US in 13 years when it arrived late Friday – but was downgraded to a tropical storm later on Saturday.
It is forecast to meander across south-east Texas until Wednesday.
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Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption This is the third attempt in the past 10 years that Kenya has tried to ban plastic bags
A ban on plastic carrier bags has come into force in Kenya, which means that from Monday anyone found selling, manufacturing or carrying them could face fines of up to $38,000 or prison sentences of up to four years.
The government says the ban will help protect the environment.
But manufacturers of the bags have argued that 80,000 jobs could be lost.
A court on Friday rejected a challenge to the ban. Kenyans are estimated to use 24 million bags a month.
A number of other African countries have outlawed plastic carrier bags, including South Africa, Rwanda and Eritrea.
This is the third attempt in the past 10 years to ban plastic bags in Kenya.
The BBC’s Anne Soy in Nairobi says that so far many Kenyans appear to support the ban.
But there is also some uncertainty about how consumers will adjust to life without polythene bags, which are usually given free-of-charge at retail outlets.
Travellers coming into Kenya with duty-free plastic shop bags will be required to leave them at the airport under the new rules, the National Environmental and Management Authority has said.
The government gave a six-month window for adjustment which expired on Sunday night.
Manufacturers who use polythene to wrap products are exempted from the ban.
Most traders have been caught off-guard despite the phased introduction of the ban, The Standard reported.
A spot check carried out by the newspaper revealed that most small-scale traders in Nairobi’s Muthurwa market had not obtained alternative packaging materials.
In its ruling last week the High Court dismissed a case filed by two plastic bags importers urging it to drop the ban. The court ruled that environmental concerns were more important than commercial interests.
Research in Europe has shown that a paper bag must be used three times to compensate for the larger amount of carbon used in manufacturing and transporting it.
Likewise a plastic “bag for life” must be used four times, and a cotton bag must be used 131 times.
This story is auto-generated from ‘BBC News’ syndicated feed and has not been edited by Africa Prime News staff.
Gombe (Nigeria) — Chairman, Plateau State Council of Emirs and Chiefs, Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Elder Jacob Gyang Buba has urged Christians to return to God in this crises ridden and immoral world.
Gbong Gwom Jos made the call while speaking at the end of five-day Convention of the Adventist Men Organization (AMO) for the North-East Nigeria Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Kaltungo, Gombe state.
According to him, the crises, immoralities and pestilences happening in almost every part of the world is a sign that “we are nearing home”.
“With all these things happening, crises, wars, pestilences, immoralities in almost all parts of the world, no government anywhere can solve all these problems facing our world today’, he warned.
Taking his scripture reading from Genesis 2:8, 9 Elder Gyang Buba said God originally created and put man in a perfect garden to live happily, but because of disobedience man lost his happiness and peace in God which is the result of suffering and confusion in the world today.
He said the Holy Bible describes the Garden of Eden before the fall of man as “our roots”, but that “we have forgotten our roots and that is why today, there is gay marriage and many other behaviours that goes against the commandments of God.
“We are far away from Eden, we have completely turned away from God’s original model of a society at creation in the Garden of Eden”, he cautioned.
He admonished that “we must all respond to God’s call in John 14:1 – 3 by returning to God, shun evil, claim his promise and propagate the great commission given to God’s chosen generation to go out and make disciples of all men.”
Earlier, Director of the AMO in the North-east Conference of SDA Church, Elder Yusuf Ukash during the opening ceremony, charged participants at the convention to use the Bible as reference in all their discussions, make new friends for Christ, pray for the needy, give hope to the hopeless, assure salvation for all, connect someone with Christ and be spirit-filled throughout their stay in Kaltungo.
In his remark, Pastor Emmanuel Jugbo, President of the North-East Conference of SDA Church in Nigeria reminded the participants that the Church has been called to reach the world with the three angels message, regardless of colour, culture, tribe, and tongue stressing that “we are all part of the same family of Christ with one mission to accomplish even as the job involves men, women, youth and children”.
He said the theme of the convention; “Eden Home” was timely, because “the world is old enough for destruction”.
Participants to the five-day convention which started on Wednesday 23rd and ended on Sunday 27th August, 2017, came from all the States in the North-East sub-region including Plateau State.
Media captionMany people have had to be rescued from flood water
Up to 2,000 people have been rescued from floods in and around Houston, as Tropical Storm Harvey continues to batter Texas with heavy rains.
There are reports of possible deaths in submerged vehicles, but investigations continue, Chief Darryl Coleman of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said.
Amid catastrophic flooding, the National Weather Service (NWS) warned that conditions were “unprecedented”.
Many shelters have been opened, including in a convention centre.
There is a “flash flood emergency” across the Houston Metro area, with travel near impossible, the NWS says.
It earlier noted reports of five deaths, but only one fatality in Houston has been confirmed.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has urged residents not to call emergency services unless their situation is life-threatening and they need to be rescued.
“Don’t get on the road. Don’t assume this storm is over,” he said.
Image copyrightHouston TranstarImage caption A CCTV image shows a section of the I-610 freeway in Houston
Two deaths have so far been confirmed from the storm since it made landfall:
In Aransas County, where Rockport is the chief town, a person died in a house fire on Friday night
A woman died in Houston as she drove through flooded streets on Saturday
The NWS in Houston and Galveston said early on Sunday that it had recorded 24.1in (61.2cm) of measured rain in the past 24 hours.
Flooding in the Houston area is expected to worsen and “could become historic”, with “potentially significant flooding also expected in other saturated areas of south-east [Texas]”, the forecaster says.
It is advising people to move to higher ground amid “an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation”.
Residents were warned not to try to travel unless “fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order”.
Like Houston, the island city of Galveston was also hit by “epic catastrophic flooding” overnight, the NWS added.
Rescue efforts are being hampered by strong winds and thousands are without power. The US Coast Guard in Houston has requested more helicopters as more people ask for help.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has mobilised 1,800 military personnel to help with rescue and repair operations.
The BBC’s James Cook, who is in Houston, says it feels like a city in crisis. Motorways are empty and abandoned cars are everywhere, he says.
Mr Abbott said another 40in of rain could be due before the storm subsides midweek.
Houston is the country’s fourth biggest city, with 6.6m people living in the metropolitan area.
The weather service has issued flash flood emergency warnings for many counties in south-eastern Texas.
“Many creeks, rivers and bayous have flooded and have surpassed previous flood record levels,” it said.
Meanwhile, Exxon Mobil has said it is shutting down the second-largest refinery in the country, at Baytown. The Texas Gulf Coast is a key centre of the US oil and gas industry.
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Media captionTexas took a battering and is witnessing severe flooding
Harvey began as a major category four hurricane – the first to make landfall in the US in 13 years when it arrived late Friday – but was downgraded to a tropical storm later on Saturday.
It is forecast to meander across south-east Texas until Wednesday.
President Donald Trump said on Twitter that he would travel to Texas “as soon as that trip can be made without causing disruption”.
In another tweet, he said: “Good news is that we have great talent on the ground.”
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Media captionThe BBC’s James Cook was in Rockport, which bore the brunt of the storm
The storm is the strongest to hit the US since Charley in August 2004 and the most powerful to hit Texas since Hurricane Carla in 1961, which killed 34 people, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Are you affected by Tropical Storm Harvey? Let us know about your experiences. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your stories.
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Image copyrightAFPImage caption Rockport was one of the areas hardest-hit by the storm
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has warned that severe flooding is his main worry as the rains from Tropical Storm Harvey continue to lash the state.
Mr Abbott said the cities of Houston and Corpus Christi had already received as much as 20in (50cm) of rain.
He said another 40in of rain could be due before the storm subsides midweek.
Rescue efforts are being hampered by strong winds and thousands are without power. A single death has so far been confirmed in the town of Rockport.
Houston, the fourth biggest city in the US, could see 2in-3in (5cm-7.5cm) of a rain an hour on Saturday night, Mayor Sylvester Turner said.
About 4,500 inmates from prisons south of Houston are being evacuated to other prisons in east Texas because the Brazos River nearby is rising significantly, officials say.
Image copyrightAFPImage caption Rockport has not been destroyed by the storm but it is in bad shape Image copyrightReutersImage caption Texas Governor Greg Abbott has warned that flooding in the state is not going to disappear overnight
Harvey began as a major category four hurricane – the first to make landfall in the US in 12 years – before it was downgraded to a tropical storm later on Saturday.
Mr Abbott warned of the “potential for very dramatic flooding” from the storm while expanding a declaration of emergency in the state from 30 counties to 50.
He has mobilised 1,800 military personnel to help with rescue and repair operations.
Forecasts say that up to 40in (1m) of rain could fall in some areas of the middle and upper Texas coast, the hurricane center (NHC) warned. Such precipitation could trigger flooding in low-lying areas and near water outlets and rivers.
The National Weather Service cautioned that the storm was so severe that many areas could be uninhabitable for months.
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Media captionThe BBC’s James Cook is in Rockport, which bore the brunt of the storm
The BBC’s James Cook in Rockport
In the wreckage of Rockport locals are the first responders.
Residents have been going door-to-door checking to see if their neighbours are dead or alive.
The little town has not been destroyed but it is in bad shape, particularly in the poorer quarters where trailer homes have been smashed open by the wind.
Debris is trailing from the tops of trees and on the porch of one modest property a rain-sodden American flag lies on the ground: a splash of red, white and blue amid the green leaves of fallen trees.
Most people appear to have got out just in time with many leaving only at the last minute as the full power of the storm became clear.
The storm has now mostly moved inland, officials say, with several places already reported to have received well over 10in of rain.
But coastal areas will also be flooded by storm surges during high tide, the NHC said.
Image copyrightAFPImage caption Some Rockport residents lost both their homes and their furniture and belongings Image copyrightAFPImage caption Many buildings in the path of the storm – such as this church – have been badly damaged
Meteorologist Wendy Wong told the Houston Chronicle that at least seven tornadoes which stemmed from the hurricane had struck the Houston area between Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.
The tornadoes destroyed buildings and homes and are likely to continue throughout Sunday and Monday.
Earlier, Harvey made a double landfall: north-east of the city of Corpus Christi initially late on Friday local time, then just north of Rockport a few hours later.
When the storm struck close to Corpus Christi it had winds of up to 130mph (215km/h), but by 18:00 GMT its sustained winds had dropped to 70mph – therefore becoming a tropical storm.
It was moving at an extremely low speed – 2mph.
The port of Corpus Christi – which closed on Thursday in preparation for the storm – only received “minor damage”. Its navigation channel is due to reopen after a survey is completed by engineers.
Texas City also expects to open its port within 48 hours.
Utility companies say nearly 300,000 customers have been without electricity.
President Donald Trump has freed up federal aid for the worst-affected areas and Governor Abbott praised the administration for “stepping up”.
In a teleconference with cabinet members Mr Trump “emphasised his expectations that all departments and agencies stay fully engaged and positioned to support his number one priority of saving lives”, the White House said.
At least 18 people have been rescued from vessels in distress by Coast Guard helicopters. ABC News has tweeted a video of four people being rescued off the coast of Port Aransas.
Rockport, normally home to about 10,000 people, appears to have been the hardest hit town.
Image copyrightAFPImage caption Families are returning to their homes in Rockport Image copyrightAFPImage caption Tornadoes have destroyed buildings and homes and are likely to continue throughout Sunday and Monday
Travis Pettis, a reporter with the Caller Times newspaper in Corpus Christi, told the BBC that strong winds when the storm arrived made the rain feel like “needles”.
Trees came down in the city and power supplies were cut, but thousands of residents had heeded warnings and boarded up their homes before fleeing.
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Media captionTornadoes caused much damage as the hurricane made landfall
Port Aransas, a city on Mustang Island, near Corpus Christi, is also reported to have extensive damage. Local media reports say a search and rescue operation is under way at a trailer park.
Harvey is the first major storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. It is forecast to meander across south-east Texas until Wednesday.
Mr Trump is likely to visit Texas early next week, the White House said.
The storm is the strongest to hit the US since Charley in August 2004 and the most powerful to hit Texas since Hurricane Carla in 1961, which killed 34 people, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Are you affected by Tropical Storm Harvey? Let us know about your experiences. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your stories.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
Gombe (Nigeria) — Police Command in Gombe has paraded nine suspected armed robbers, alleged to have been terrorizing people in parts of the state including Dogo Ruwa village, Kuri Village and Gombe metropolis among others.
