A Bauchi State court has sentenced eight men to eight years’ imprisonment each for thuggery and disturbance of public peace in Unguwar Dim, Bauchi metropolis.

The court, however, gave each convict the option of paying a fine of ₦370,000.

The Bauchi State Police Command disclosed the development in a statement issued on Saturday, October 17, 2026, saying the convictions followed an operation launched after complaints about renewed thuggery in the community.

Police Raid Suspected Hideout

According to the police, the command received a complaint from the Peace and Security Committee of Unguwar Dim on October 14 over a resurgence of thuggery in the area.

Following the complaint, a joint team comprising operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, the patrol team of the ‘D’ Division and members of the community security committee raided a suspected hideout in the early hours of October 15.

The operation led to the arrest of nine suspects and the recovery of dangerous weapons and substances described by the police as illicit.

Items recovered included machetes, cutlasses, knives, sticks and what the police identified as “Rangy”.

Eight Suspects Convicted After Pleading Guilty

The police said eight of the nine arrested suspects were charged to court after investigations were completed.

All eight reportedly pleaded guilty to the charges and were subsequently convicted and sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment each, with an option of a ₦370,000 fine.

The police did not disclose the outcome of the case involving the ninth person arrested during the operation.

Police Commend Community Collaboration

The Commissioner of Police in Bauchi State, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, welcomed the judgment, describing it as evidence of cooperation between security agencies and community-based security structures.

He said collaboration between residents and law enforcement agencies was important in tackling thuggery, violent crime and disturbances of public peace.

The commissioner reaffirmed the command’s commitment to sustaining operations against criminal activities across the state and urged residents to continue providing credible information to security agencies.