The Nigerian Army has concluded plans to fish out criminals who engage
in cattle rustling, kidnapping and raping from their hideouts at the
Sarkin Pawa forest in Niger state.
The Brigadier Commander 31 Artillery Brigade, Minna, Brigadier General
Baba Ibrahim while speaking to Journalists on Monday during inspecting
and handing over of 184 stolen cows and 83 sheep to the local
government Chairman Abdulkadir Mohammed Bida, said the bandits have
made living unbearable for the people of the area.
He said at the Zazzaga community in the Sarkin Pawa area that the Army
will leave no stone unturned, and as such the Operation Restore Peace
II, will ensure normalcy returns to the communities.
The Brigade Commander who was represented by the Commander incharge of
Operation Restore Peace II, Lt. Col. Dzarma Zirkushu told Journalists
that one of the suspects, Abubakar Hassan was arrested on Thursday in
an operation led by Lt. Col. Adamu Yakubu, Commanding Officer 313
Artillery Regiment, Minna, but that some of the rustlers ran away on
sighting the soldiers.
“The operation is an ongoing exercise against all forms of banditry.
We are doing our part here in Niger state to see that the State is
free from all forms of criminal act. We will continue with the
exercise.
“I want to state categorically that the Brigade will not condone any
form of banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping, rape or any form of
criminality in its area of responsibility,’’ he said.
He further stated that the Army is officially handing over the 184
cows and 83 Sheep recovered during its operations on Thursday and
Saturday respectively to the representative of the state government.
While acknowledging the receipt of the animals, the Chairman of Munya
LGA, Abdulkadir Bida commended the efforts of the Nigerian Army,
saying fear of attack by rustlers has reduced.
Bida, who was represented by the Council secretary Abel Inuwa, said
“prior before your arrival here, our people have been living in fear.
They could not sleep with their two eyes closed for fear of bandits’
attack. But today, we can sleep with our eyes closed because of your
presence. Your arrival is yielding fruitful results especially with
the operations that took place recently.
“These bandits have been attacking our people; they have raped some of
our daughters and even some of our wives. Whenever they invade our
villages, they inflict injuries on our people, steal properties and
even money.
“The Council will continue to give its little assistance to security
agencies to ensure that success is achieved. We have constituted a
Six-man Committee to handle the issue of identifying the real owners
of these animals.
“The committee will start their work today and possibly distribute
them to their rightful owners”.
Bida however cautioned the committee to exhibit high sense of probity,
accountability and transparency in the discharge of their duty.
The Suspect, Abubakar Hassan, a 40 year old from Bungudu Local
Government Area of Zamfara state told our Correspondent that he was
arrested by the soldiers inside the Sarkin Pawa forest while he and
three others who are now at large were taking the cows away.
Accordingly, he said “we are many but only three of us made this trip.
I got 85 cows, the others have the remaining, but when the Army came
they escaped and I was arrested.”
He further stated that some of the cows were moved from Zamfara and
others were gotten while grazing.
Abubakar’s father Alhaji Hassan Na’Ayada, who claims he is the owner
of all the animals contradicted his son saying, he has mark placed on
every cow for identification but when the field was opened for him to
point his cows he could not but added that, it is now about a year his
son took the cattles for grazing and by so, the marks have wiped out.