‘Cattle rustling will soon be history in Niger, North-West states’

Assistant Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in charge of Zone D, Ahmed Muhammad Jega, has said that the menace of cattle rustling would soon be over in Niger and North-West states.
Speaking with Daily Trust yesterday in Minna, Jega said the joint operation of  security agencies against cattle rustling initiated by governments of Niger, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kebbi and Sokoto States, is yielding results.
The Zone D of the corps includes Kwarra, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto with the headquarters in Minna, Niger State.
The Assistant Commandant General noted that the zone is notorious for cattle rustling, adding that the renewed onslaught by security agencies against the gang would be sustained until the zone is rid of the menace.
“The challenge of the zone is minimal when compared to others across the country.  Our major problem is cattle rustling and this will end soon through the on-going joint operation among all security agencies,” he said.
 Jega, who was just transferred from Zone H, with the headquarters in Makurdi, Benue State confirmed that the black spots in the zone are the forests which stretched from Niger through Kebbi, Zamfara, Kaduna and Sokoto states.
He said plain cloth security personnel of all agencies were deployed with the help of vigilantes, for intelligence gathering of suspects around the forests, while armed personnel provide back up.
“Officers and men of all security agencies are maintaining high presence in the forests where most of the rustlers stay and lunch attacks on communities. We are making progress in the on-going effort to flush them from the forests,” he said.