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Tag: cows

  • Gunmen kill 20 persons, 83 cows in Nasarawa

    Gunmen kill 20 persons, 83 cows in Nasarawa

    Gunmen at the weekend killed 83 cows at Adayi in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

    At Loko, the monarch claimed that about 20 people have been killed by gunmen in the last few weeks.

    The killings were suspected to be reprisals by gunmen who crossed over from Benue State.

    Although security agencies have stepped up investigation, the Fulani leader of Adayi area of Loko, Mallam Bideri Ahmadu, alleged that suspected Agatu gunmen from Benue State might be behind the killings.

    The traditional ruler of Loko, Alhaji Abubakar Ahmed Sabo, alleged that Agatu youths might have perpetrated the act.

    The Fulani community leader, Mallam Bideri Ahmadu, who addressed reporters in Loko, alleged that Agatu youths crossed over from Benue State about 10:30am last Saturday.

    He said the suspects had wanted to “rustle the cows in their boats across River Benue, but the cattle went berserk because of sporadic shootings.”

    Ahmadu said:  “Upon realising they could not achieve their aim, the Agatu youth opened fire on the cows, killing 83. The injured ones are in the bush.”

    The Mai Loko, Alhaji Abubakar Ahmed Sabo, said in the last few weeks, over 20 men, women and children were killed during attacks on Fulani people by Agatu youths from Benue State.

    He said the Loko Development Area has only two police officers with no rifles and appealed for more security presence.

    Sabo urged the Fulani not to retaliate because the government was looking into the crisis.

    The Director of Personnel Management (DPM) of the development area, Danlami Umar, said the “fishing community has suffered a setback because the riverine area has been taken over by Agatu youths, who kill at will.

    Police spokesman Ismaila Numan said the Nasarawa Division received a report of the killing of 83 cows by suspected hoodlums and investigation had started.

    A security source said: “There has been tension in the area since the killing of more than 300 people in Agatu area of Benue State by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

    “We are suspecting reprisals by Agatu youths who do not want Fulani herdsmen in their area again.

    “The crisis between the Fulani and the Agatu is posing a threat to life and property in the two states.

    “Nasarawa and Benue governments have to step into the incessant clashes between the Fulani and the Agatu.”

  • Herdsmen rue cows loss to rainstorm

    Herdsmen rue cows loss to rainstorm

    They waited for so long for the rainy season. When it eventually came, it was a source of misery to residents of Yobe State.

    Penultimate week, the rain was so heavy it turned tragic for some clustered Fulani communities. They lost thousands of their animals, especially cows, to the storm that preceded the rain.

    The average Fulani man could be sentimental about his herd, so much so that the loss of one demoralises him. Most times, a Fulani herdsman feels pain when he decides to sell a cow out of his flock, irrespective of the monetary gain.

    Many of them prefer tendering the cows and allowing them to increase in number to selling them, unless there is a compelling reason to do so.

    This apparently explains why Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, once said: “For the Fulani, cows are more than four-legged animals. For me, tending to cattle is a hobby and more.”

    Investigations revealed that many of the herdsmen are still brooding over the loss of their cows.

    Leaders of the Fulani under the aegis of the Miyatti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association told our correspondent that some of the herdsmen are unwell due to the huge loss they suffered as a result of the rain storm. The leaders were in Damaturu, Yobe State capital, to seek the state government’s assistance.

    It was gathered that the flock of many of them have depleted. For instance, it was revealed that one of them, Mallam Hassan Lamido Manu, lost 30 cows, 50 goats and 50 sheep to the storm.

    Another victim, Wakili Manu, lost 15 cows and 61 goats. The story of Dio Manu is another pathetic one as all his 33 cows were killed by the storm that night, while Haro Aridojo, a herdsman from Mungono Village in Tarmuwa Local Government Area, said 29 out of his 30 cattle died.

    To prevent total loss, some of the herdsmen decided to slaughter their cattle and sell them at give-away prices. It was gathered that a cow was sold for N5,000 as against the market price of more than N60, 000, while a goat was sold for N200 as against N10, 000.

    “I slaughtered them and brought them to Damaturu. We sold some of them at give-away prices of N1, 000 and N800. But the government cautioned the butchers not to buy,” Aridojo said.

    He further explained that over 30 trucks of the slaughtered cows were evacuated from his village to parts of Jos, Bauchi and Jigawa states, adding: “We had no option than to slaughter and sell them. This is because the cattle were starving even before the heavy rain hit them. They could no longer walk, and in few days, they would all die.”

    He emphasised that they had been in contact with leaders of Miyatti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association over the difficulty they were experiencing in feeding and watering the livestock, stressing that “they keep telling us that government is going to do something on it.”

    Lamido Manu, leader of the Fulani in GarinSaje Village said he lost over 50 farm animals in Jakusko/Nasri Grazing Reserve. He claimed that “butchers came and bought some of the slaughtered animals from Jakusko and Gashua. But, today if 40 butchers can come to my house, I will give them free cows because, they are decaying and nobody is coming to buy the beef.”

    He called on the state government to urgently intervene and save the poor herdsmen that rely solely on cows for their livelihood.

    Investigation revealed that most of the settlements around the area have relocated due to unpleasant odour from decomposing cows around the area.

    Yobe State Secretary of Miyatti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Khalil Muhammad Bello confirmed that the heavy down pour and strong wind affected many herds in Tarmuwa, Dapchi, Gujba, Jakusko  local government areas.

    He said the Association had submitted a request through the Ministry of Animals and Fisheries on issues concerning water and fodder for the livestock. He called on government to expedite its effort in assisting the breeders with enough fodder so that losses recorded would be minimised.

    Investigations revealed that N200m was budgeted for nomad in this year’s budget. The money aimed at providing water and animal feeds is yet to be accessed by the Ministry for Animals and Fisheries.

    Some Fulani settlements that were worst affected include Gadiram, Abbari, Daragi, Mongonu and NasriinTarmowa, Jakusko and Damaturu local government areas.

    Water, according to Lamido Dodele, is one of their major challenges in Ngasarga another settlement affected.

    He further said: “Our children travel for two days to get water for the cows and another two days to return. By the time they return, the cows are already exhausted. This is what we go through all year round. There is no water in our community. Animals don’t have food to eat. We spent a lot of money buying food for them.

    “Each bag of animal feed costs about N3, 400. In a month, some people will buy like 150 bags depending on the number of cows that they have. We appeal to government to come to our aid. Every year, we hear that government is buying grains and selling at subsidised rates. I think they can do same for us to reduce our sufferings.”

  • Combating cow thieves in Plateau

    Combating cow thieves in Plateau

    Cow theft is fast becoming a growing industry in the Northcentral, and Plateau State seems to be the hub. It is said that the state now has the highest rate of cattle theft.

    The problem of cow stealing in Northcentral especially Plateau State, appears peculiar judging from the sophistication and strategies deployed by the cattle robbers.

    Cow stealing involves a gang of about 50 criminals who specialise in stealing as many as 300 cows and an uncountable number of sheep and goats in a single operation. The most recent case in Plateau North involved over 500 cows seized and taken away in one night.

    The Special Task Force (STF) on Jos crisis code-named Operation Safe Haven, said the issue of cow stealing has become a very serious problem in Plateau State.

    During the peace meeting which was sponsored by the European Union (EU) through Search for Common Ground (SFCG), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), held at the Cabinet Office Jos, the STF said they recorded 42 cases of cattle stealing in six months.

    According to its presentation at the peace meeting, the STF said: “There were 160 attacks associated with cattle rustling in the state within six months.”

    Col. Usman Bello, who made the presentation on behalf of the Commander Maj-Gen. David Enetie said: “In the 160 attacks, over 260 people were killed, 2,501 cows were stolen. About 1,312 cows were recovered, over 88 arms were recovered as well as 2,734 ammunition were also recovered.”

    Continuing, the task force said: “The attacks were fuelled by activities of cow rustlers. This is the major security challenge confronting the task force in the state. The problems of cattle rustling is concentrated mostly in Mangu, Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, Shendam, Jos South and Riyom in Langtang North and Langtang South local government areas respectively.

    “Apart from the casualties, the task force has recorded some successes in its efforts to address the problems of cow rustling with the arrest of 15 armed dealers who provide arms to the thieves to nake cattle rustling easier.”

    Continuing, the STF said: “The successes recorded in the fight against cattle rustlers in the state is attributed to the Operation Restore Peace launched by the STF so as to combat the new form of criminality in the state.”

    Organisers of the meeting, an European Union (EU)-sponsored NGO, in collaboration with the Office of the Special Adviser on Peace Building and Conflict Management revealed that the early warning system established by the NGO is associated with cattle rustling has been on the increase since the beginning of this year.

    The NGO, however, said: “With the collaborative efforts of civil society organisations and security agencies, the rate of attacks and killings has significantly reduced.

    Country Director of Search For Common Ground, Mr. Chom Bagu, said: “The peace-building and dialogue process are not restricted to government and security agencies alone. All stakeholders are required to join hands to reduce conflicts in Plateau State.

    In his remarks, Special Adviser to Governor Jang on Peace-building and Conflict Management, Mr Timothy Parlong announced that the Fulani, who withdrew from the dialogue last month on protest have agreed to return to the dialogue table for peace to reign in the state.

    However, the special task force (STF) has outlined some of the handicaps militating against their efforts to effectively tackle cattle rustling in the state.

    He said: “We have our challenges which has limited our capacity to effectively tackle the issue of cattle rustling in Plateau State. Though we have made tremendous successes in the fight against cattle stealing, we have discovered that the suspects we arrested often escape justice because of the existing weak laws which do not prescribe severe punishment for offenders.

    Col. Bello said: “Cattle rustling currently has advanced from what it used to be in the past. Cattle rustling is now being carried out in large-scale and the criminals use sophisticated arms.

    “But the existing laws prescribed an alternative of a fine of about N10,000 for cattle rustlers. This has offered an escape route to the criminals and we discovered that most of them escaped through the courts and return to rustle more cattle.

    “Apart from that, cattle market is the most unorganised in the country. There is no receipt for a cow that cost over N100, 000, whereas, in other markets, there is a receipt for a good whic costs as low as N500. This makes it difficult to identify stolen cows in the markets.”

    The STF also decried the issue of proliferation of military uniforms as one of the major challenges in the fight against cattle rustling. Negative perceptions of the locals about men of the STF as well as the giving of religious and ethnic colouration to the crime.

    Col. Bello, however said: “But, in spite of the challenges, we have recorded major successes in the battle against cattle rustlers. We were able to recover 1,312 out of the 2,501 cattle rustled in the last six months. We have arrested 15 armed dealers who are currently being investigated.

    “Eventually, the rate of cattle rustling has reduced drastically. Rate of attacks on locals has been curtailed significantly and there is relative peace in the state at the moment. We are doing our best, but we cannot effectively stop cattle rustling considering the obvious challenges mentioned above. We need more encouragements.”

    Mr. Parlong and the NGO commended mrmbers of the STF for their efforts in combatting cattle rustling in the state.

    Mr Bagu appealed to communities across the state not to pursue personnel of the STF from their areas, saying it is only the STF that has the capacity to confront the armed rustlers and restore the needed peace in the state.

    It is cheery that the Fulani Community in Plateau State have suspended their one- month-old protest, even as they have resumed participation at the peace meetings with their Berom neighbours.

    Mr. Parlong revealed this while declaring open the 6th Plateau Peace Architecture (PAD) meeting at the Cabinet Office Jos.

    The Fulani community had boycotted the 5th peace meeting last month in protest, vowing not to be part of the peace talk with the Berom people. The Fulani said they were compelled to suspend their participation in all peace talks in the state following the rustling of over 500 cattle allegedly by Berom youths.

    Mr Parlong said: “I am so glad to inform you that the Fulani community that boycotted the meeting last month in protest has resolved to resume participation in the ongoing peace talks.

    “This is a victory to all stakeholders in the peace-building efforts. The state government is particularly happy for this because it considered every ethnic group in the state as critical stakeholder in this peace-building project.

    “Plateau is a miniature Nigeria where all citizens of Nigeria reside. The state government is ready to carry all citizens along because the peace-building project can only succeed with collective input of all stakeholders,” Parlong said.

    Confirming the return of the Fulani to the peace talks, Special Adviser to Gov Jang on Fulani Affairs, Alhaji Salim Bello said: “The Fulani Community has suspended our protest and we have already resumed all the peace talks we used to participate in.

    “We had to boycott the peace talks because of the continuous rustling of Fulani cattle by Berom youths. Some of the stolen cattle have been recovered and efforts are being made by government and security agencies to recover the rest.”

    Country Director of Search For Common Ground (SFCG), commended the Fulani for listening to its appeal to return to dialogue, saying there is no other better platform to resolve conflict except dialogue.

    The Plateau Peace Architecture Dialogue series is an 18-month peace-building project sponsored by European Union (EU) and implemented by Search For Common Ground (SFCG) in collaboration with Directorate of Peace Building and Conflict Management.