There was pandemonium in Tulu, a community in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State, on Monday after a 19-year-old girl, Esther Gambo, allegedly murdered two seven-year-old girls and abducted a newborn baby.
The suspect, said to be from Lemoro village in the area, reportedly lured the victims, Khadija Sama’ila and A’isha Dahiru, from Unguwan Sarkin Yaki to a nearby maize farm, where she hacked them to death with a machete after allegedly fleeing with the infant belonging to one Nafisa Dahiru.
Operatives of the Bauchi State Police Command said the suspect was apprehended following a swift manhunt launched by the command in collaboration with local vigilantes. The lifeless bodies of the two girls and the stolen baby were recovered.
However, the incident sparked violent protests as irate youths from the predominantly Muslim community went on a rampage, setting several churches ablaze and attempting to burn down the Divisional Police Headquarters in Tulu.
Spokesperson for the command, Ahmed Wakil, confirmed the incident, adding that reinforcements were deployed from the Area Command in Toro and other divisions to restore order. Sixteen suspects have been arrested in connection with the violence.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Auwal Sani-Omolori Aliyu, who visited the scene, condemned the killings and the reprisal attacks. He warned residents against taking the law into their hands, stressing that justice would be pursued through legal means.
He said, “The murder of the girls and the abduction of a baby is a horrific crime, and while the suspect is in custody, we will not tolerate any form of jungle justice or destruction of public and private property.”
The police said normality has been restored to the area, while investigations into both the murder and the arson attacks are ongoing.
