Alhaji Muhammadu Abdullahi, widely known as Baba Gombi and Sarkin Bakan Gombi, a revered hunters’ leader and frontline figure in community-based security, has died at the age of 100.

His passing marks a significant moment in local security efforts, particularly in the North-East subregion, where he earned a reputation for courage and strategic leadership in the fight against insurgency and violent crime.

Gombi was celebrated as a fearless hunter who dedicated more than half of his life to combating Boko Haram insurgents, kidnappers and bandits.

His role became especially prominent at the height of the insurgency, when he mobilised local hunters to support the military and other security agencies in reclaiming territories.

Born in 1926 in Bama, Borno State, he relocated to Gombi in Adamawa State in 1979. There, he began organising hunters into a coordinated force to defend communities against rising insecurity.

In 2015, as Boko Haram intensified attacks across the region, Baba Gombi led his men to the frontlines, playing a key role in efforts that led to the recapture of Gombi and neighbouring communities.

His group was instrumental in intelligence gathering and joint operations with security forces.

Beyond the battlefield, he was actively involved in rescue missions, often leading dangerous expeditions into forests to free abducted victims.

He later rose to become the National President of the Hunters’ Association, a position in which he strengthened community policing efforts and promoted collaboration with formal security institutions.

In recognition of his bravery, the late Lamido of Adamawa, Alhaji Aliyu Mustapha, conferred on him the traditional title of Sarkin Yakin Bindigan Arewa in 1987.

Baba Gombi is survived by four wives, 36 children, 56 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.

Tributes have continued to pour in following his death.

The Gombe State Chairman of the Hunters’ Association, Rabi’u Baushe, described the loss as profound, noting that his legacy of sacrifice and service would endure. (Weekend Trust)