Youth Arrested For Alleged Gangsterism 2 Weeks After Release From Prison

A young man, Khalifa Modibbo, has been arrested by the Adamawa State Police Command for alleged ‘Shila gangsterism.’

Shila gangsterism is a term used by the police in the state to describe crimes which typically include snatching of phones and other light valuables by young elements known locally as Shila Boys.

Khalifa who hails from Hayin Gada in Girei LGA, was arrested barely two weeks after gaining freedom from prison custody, courtesy of a prison decongestion exercise by the state government which involves reviewing the cases of certain categories of inmates of correctional centres.

Khalifa was among 100 awaiting trial inmates and convicts who were pardoned by the Jail Delivery Committee headed by the state Chief Judge, Justice Hafsat Abdulrahman.

The suspect had been arrested early this year and remanded in prison custody for the same offence of criminal conspiracy and theft, and was released by the Jail Delivery Committee after he had stayed six months behind bars.

After regaining his freedom about two weeks ago, however, the 18-year-old and one Ibrahim Garba were nabbed for the offence of criminal conspiracy and theft in the Shila Boys thieving style.

According to the police, he got into trouble this time during their operation on a tricycle when he and Garba picked their victim at Yolde Pate Junction in Yola South LGA towards Yola town main market.

As Garba drove the tricycle, Khalifa, sitting at the back and pretending to be a passenger, put his hands in the pocket of a ‘co-passenger’ with him at the back and removed money that was later determined to be N26,000.

The target however proved smart enough by noticing that Khalifa had removed money from his pocket, and he asked Garba to ride on to nearby Wuro Hausa Police Station where he would get down.

On arrival at the station, the man raised the alarm, attracting people who intercepted the suspects and handed them over to the police.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Ngurore, confirming the arrest, said that the Commissioner of Police, Morris Dankombo, had ordered investigation and prosecution of the suspects.