Operatives of the Gombe State Police Command have rescued a cleric who was allegedly confined by a group of youths in Birin Fulani community of Nafada Local Government Area in Gombe State.
Police spokesman in the state, Buhari Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday.
He said the incident was reported to the police at about 3:00 a.m. on March 15, following a disturbance of public peace in the community.
According to him, the Divisional Police Officer and his team immediately mobilised to the area to restore order.
Abdullahi explained that upon arrival, the officers discovered that the cleric, identified as Abubakar Mahmoud Puma, 58, from Akko Local Government Area of the state, had been locked inside a house by some aggrieved youths.
He said the youths, believed to belong to the Darika sect, accused the cleric of allegedly making abusive and derogatory remarks about their leaders.
“The cleric was reportedly posted to Birin Fulani to conduct the 2026 Ramadan Tafsir by the national headquarters of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS) in Jos,” he said.
The police spokesman added that the Divisional Police Officer engaged the agitated youths in dialogue, after which they cooperated and allowed the cleric to be rescued safely.
He noted that no life was lost during the incident and normalcy has since been restored in the community.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Umar Ahmed Chuso, has ordered a discreet investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the incident and ensure that anyone found culpable faces the law.
The command also cautioned members of the public against spreading unverified information on social media, warning that such actions could create unnecessary tension.
Police assured residents of Birin Fulani and other parts of the state that the situation was under control and urged the public to channel grievances through lawful means.
