P 29 Sun 04/02/24
FROM ANENE AIKE, SOKOTO
The Nigeria Police, Sokoto Joint Operatives Team have recovered 20 cows and a donkey along Kware to Gada forest from suspected rustlers, the state Police Commissioner has revealed.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ali Kaigama, disclosed this while parading the recovered animals to newsmen in Sokoto. He assured the general public that rustlers will definitely be wiped out of Sokoto.
CP Kaigama, who was represented by the Police Command’s spokesperson, ASP Ahmed Rufai, said the recovered animals were stationed at the state police command and would be handed over to the owners.
The commissioner stated that on 16 January this year, at about 1100 hrs, a team of Anti – kidnapping Operatives attached to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID), in conjunction with the SWAT acted on an intelligence and intercepted yet-to-be-identified armed cattle rustlers along Kware – Gada bush.
According to him on sighting the police, the rustlers took to their heels, and after giving a hot chase, they abandoned the stolen cattle, and as a result, of these, 20 cows and one donkey were recovered at the scene”.
He disclosed that following a discreet investigation by the Command, one Malami Hayatu, a resident of Durbawa Yarbarade village in the Kware Local Government Area was identified to be the owner of the cattle.
The commissioner however, revealed that the suspects were at large and the police did not relent in their efforts toward a thorough investigation to ensure that the suspects were arrested to pave the way for a free crime society in the state.
Reacting to the issue of Hayatu he said the cattle were rustled in his residence at Durbawa village on that fateful night by the rustlers.
“On the 14th of January, this year, armed robbers attacked my house in Durbawa village and carted away 20 cows and one donkey. We couldn’t challenge them because they were armed and followed their footprints but we did not trace their whereabouts”, the cows owner lamented.
He however added that as a result, he reported the issue to the police station. “And thank God, the state Police Command was able to retrieve the cattle, and is being handed over to me”, he said.
He also commended the Nigerian Police for their action which led to the retrieval of the rustled cows.
Hayatu also appealed for more support to the security agents to enable them discharge their mandate in the state,
