The Nation Newspaper

Tag: rustlers

  • Rustlers kill two herders in Plateau

    •Police recover 70 cows

    Plateau State Police Command has confirmed the killing of herdsmen by suspected rustlers.

    They reportedly attacked victims while grazing their cattle in the bush around Turu village of Jos South Local government.

    The incident, according to the police, occurred last Friday at about 1915 hours.

    A statement by the Police Public Relation Officer, DSP Terna Tyopev, explained: “On the 14/09/2018 at about 1915hrs, Ezekiel Dalyop of Turu village in Kuru District of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State reported at the Kaduna Vom Police Division three (3) herders entrusted with Seventy (70) of his cattle were missing.

    “The Police swung into action immediately the complaint was incidented and were able to rescue one of the herders by name Bitrus Joseph 16yrs unhurt.

    “The police team of detectives also recovered the seventy (70) missing cattle.

    “Unfortunately, in the process of rustling the cattle, two of the herders Meshack Dalyop 14 and Pam Danjuma 10 were killed and dumped in the bush at Dahool Bob in Kuru District.

    “The corpses have been recovered and deposited at the Vom Christian Hospital.”

     

  • 1,150 rustlers, kidnappers repent in Kaduna

    Another batch of 1,150 criminals, including cattle rustlers, bandits and kidnappers in Anchau, Kubau Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have repented.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 750 last month swore by the Qur’an to abandon criminality.

    Police spokesman Mukhtar Aliyu told reporters the criminals repented at the weekend after meeting with community leaders.

    He added that the effort is part of the disarmament programme initiated by the Inspector General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris, and to promote community policing.

    He said: “If you want to solve a problem, you have to work with people that created the problem. We held meetings with hunters as a prelude to activities we call Renouncing Violence Strategies.”

    Head of the Vigilante Service Audu Sallau attributed the successes to commitment shown by the police.

  • Troops kill three rustlers in Borno

    Troops kill three rustlers in Borno

    •Recover 200 cows 

    Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole in Borno State have killed three Boko Haram insurgents and recovered over 200 cows.

    Director of Army Public Relations Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman said assorted weapons were also recovered.

    A statement by Gen. Usman said: “Troops of 21 Brigade, Operation Lafiya Dole, in conjunction with elements of 121 Battalion, on Friday, December 22, laid an ambush for Boko Haram terrorists at a suspected crossing point near Firgi, Bama Local Government Area, of Borno State.

    “The troops neutralised one of the terrorists suspected to be an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) expert, while others escaped with injuries. The troops recovered a gas cylinder suspected to be for IED, two water bottles and a motorcycle.

    “In another development, troops of 3 Battalion, 22 Brigade, on Operation Lafiya Dole, on December 23, following a report that suspected terrorists had rustled over 200 cows at Makandari Village in Kala Balge council, mobilised a fighting patrol which pursued the terrorists to Beneri village.

    “The team engaged the terrorists and neutralised two of them. One AK-47 rifle, an empty Magazine, two motorcycles and a National Identity Card were recovered. The cows were also recovered and returned to the rightful owners”.

    The Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj.-Gen. R.I Nicholas, has explained how soldiers repelled Boko Haram attacks at Molai on Christmas day.

    Gen. Nicholas, in a statement, said: “This evening (Monday), Boko Haram insurgents came with Person Borne Improvised Explosives Devices (PIED) gun trucks to steal foodstuff and attack troops around Molai area, outskirts of Maiduguri.

    “They, however, met stiff resistance from troops of Operation Lafiya Dole, who repelled them and secured the community.

    “The troops did not record any death and normalcy has since been restored. Unfortunately, during their retreat, they burnt two vehicles and some thatched houses.

    “Both ground troops and the Air Force are in hot pursuit and interdicting the fleeing terrorists.”

  • Police arrest six suspected rustlers

    Police arrest six suspected rustlers

    Operatives of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) have arrested six suspected rustlers, who specialize in stealing goats in Ondo, Osun, Ogun, Kwara, Ekiti and Lagos States.

    The suspects are: Gani Adeyemi, 29, Kabiru Oladimeji, 50, Alimi Ayodele, 32, Kunle Olasebikan, 45, and Umaru Mohammed, 46.

    According to police sources, the suspects had carried out several operations in the neighbouring states, where they stole goats, money, phones and jewelry at gun point.

    It was gathered that the suspects lured goats with raw white beans following which they would gag the animals and cart them away in the operational vehicles.

    Confessing, Ayodele said: “I am married with three children. I stopped at Senior Secondary three and became a bus driver. I started stealing goats seven years ago when armed robbery became very hard in Lagos.

    It was my friend Akube that introduced me into goat stealing. We operated at Osogbo, Oyo, Ilorin, Ijebu. In each of the operations we went home with at least 20 goats. We used to be three in number namely Alimi, Gani, Akube who is still at large. We used to  operate at about from 11p.m to 12 midnight along village roads where goats sleep.

    ‘’ Gani’s role is to drive our operational vehicle, Akube catches the goats with raw beans while Ayo seals the goat’s mouth. Most of the goats sleep on the road. We were challenged by vigilante men at Iyana Oba in Osogbo where they blocked the road and we exchanged fire with them. We sold the goats to one Kazeem at Mile 12 market (Lagos) at N7,000 each. Kazeem is still at large.

    ‘’For the 20 goats we got at last operation at Osogbo we got 20 goats and sold 19 for N133,000 and roasted the one that died out of suffocation and celebrated our dinners with it. Out of the N133,000, I paid N20,000 for fuel and N20,000 for vehicle maintenance and shared the balance.

    In his confession, Kabiru, whose gang operated in Ojodu Berger, Agbado, Mowe Ibafo and Sango areas of Ogun State said his group stole only three goats on a daily basis.

    Kabiru and other members of the gang were however arrested by a police patrol team which also recovered guns from them.

  • Security operatives kill suspected rustlers

    Security operatives kill suspected rustlers

    •232 cows recovered  

    Two hundred and thirty two cows were on Monday night recovered by the ‘Operation Yaki Patrol Team’, in a joint operation with the Saminaka Divisional Police Patrol Team, in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

    A statement by the Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, said the recovery followed a tip-off that rustlers arrived at Jama’ariya village in Lere Council with cows suspected to have been stolen.

    He went on: “Immediately, the security operatives raced to the village, but the rustlers engaged them in a gun duel. Two of the rustlers were killed, while the others escaped into the bush with injuries, abandoning the cows. One locally-made SMG rifle, three pairs of army uniform and 12 9mm live ammunition were recovered. “

    “The cows and the recovered items were handed over to the Saminaka Divisional Headquarters for investigation. Efforts are on to arrest the rustlers.

    The Monday night recovery is the second breakthrough by the security agents since the El-Rufai administration donated 107 Hilux patrol vehicles and 230 bulletproof jackets to the security agencies two weeks ago.

     

     

  • Sanusi advocates Sharia punishment for rustlers

    •Police parade 74 suspects

    The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi 11, has said Islamic laws should be used to prosecute cattle rustlers.

    He added that the punishments meted out to them should include amputation of hands and legs, killing, piercing of body with sticks, life imprisonment and banishment to exile.

    The monarch spoke yesterday when the police command paraded 74 suspected cattle rustlers with 818 cows and 87 sheep.

    The animals were recovered in the last 30 days.

    The bush combing at the Falgore game reserve by a special squad was constituted by Police Commissioner Muhammad Musa Katsina.

    Parading the suspects and the animals before Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and Emir Sanusi 11, at Kanar Dawaki in Dawaki Kudu Local Government, Katsina said three of the notorious rustlers were killed in a gun duel and a police officer was injured, hospitalised, but had been discharged.

    He said the police recovered arms, adding that some of the suspects were nabbed in police and army camouflage, which they used to rob Fulani herdsmen.

    The police boss said: “Notable among the suspects was Umaru Dogo Ndaiye, a Senegalese, who was shot during a gun battle with our men, who were on a special duty at the Falgore forest, near Gazobi village. He died while receiving treatment in hospital.

    “A pistol and 224 cattle were recovered from him. Four members of his gang were arrested. Other rustlers, who died during the gun duel, were Datti Umar Rodi and Mammadu Dogo.”

    According to him, the police recovered 21 arms, 42 AK 47 ammunition, 15 9.mm ammunition, 28 live cartridges and 12 locally- made AK 47 ammunition.

    He said 82 suspected drug dealers and cult members were apprehended, while 21 parcels of 464 wraps of Indian hemp were recovered. Katsina added that 416 cartons of Tramadol, 119 sachets of Diazepam, 101 cartons of Parklin and Codeine syrup, five gallons of suck-and-die, including two tricycles used in conveying drugs by couriers were also displayed.

    Governor Ganduje described the activities of rustlers as worrisome, saying: “This is happening when we are yet to solve insurgency.”

    Ganduje, who was pained that of the 818 rustlers, who were arrested, some of them were Fulani, urged security agencies to ensure that they were prosecuted, assuring them of government’s support.

    He said a committee had been constituted to ensure that the recovered livestock were returned to their owners, adding that those involved in rustling should realise that their days were numbered.

  • Police arrest 69 suspected rustlers

    The Kano State Police Command said yesterday that it had arrested 69 cattle rustlers and other robbers in the last one month.

    Police Commissioner Muhammad Katsina, who spoke when he visited Gidan-Kare village in Sumaila Local Government, said residents deserted the village following attacks by bandits.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the police commissioner was in the village to assess the security situation and map out strategies to rid the area of the menace.

    Katsina said of the number arrested, 46 suspects were among the most wanted bandits, while the remaining 23 suspects were arrested for cattle rustling.

    According to him, the police also recovered 20 goats and sheep, 31 rifles and pistols, 240 cartridges of ammunition and 68 cattle of which 30 had been returned to their owners.

    Katsina said the police  apprehended a notorious leader of a robbery gang popularly called Datti Rodi at Gani village.

    “The leader has about 200 members who have been terrorising the community,” he said.

    Katsina said the suspects were cooperating with the police in their investigations and that they would soon be arraigned.

    The police chief attributed the successes within one month to the resilience of his men and the onslaught on the hoodlums.

    He advised those who fled their villages following the activities of bandits to return, as the command had put in place measures to ensure safety.

    Katsina said the command would soon deploy more policemen in the villages to enhance security.

  • 11 die as rustlers invade villages

    Eleven people were killed, when cattle rustlers invaded three villages in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.

    The gang lost eight members of the gang were killed and three villagers died during a counter-attack by vigilance groups.

    The rustlers last weekend attacked Kwati, Basa and Kaore villages at Lakpan the local government and stole cows.

    Irked by the invasion,  vigilance groups in the area confronted the rustlers, resulting in the death of eight members of the gang. Three vigilante were killed.

    The lawmaker representing Niger East, Senator David Umaru, visited the villages. He decried the activities of the cattle rustlers.

    The legislator urged the government to tighten security.

    He lamented that the residents were helpless and vulnerable to attacks.

    The Head of Kwati, Alhaji Barko Barua, implored the government to tighten security for his subjects to farm.