A joint team of the military and Fulani Volunteer Group on Sunday intercepted suspected cattle rustlers in Yakila area of Rafi local government area of Niger state and recovered over 1000 cattle and 75 sheep from them.
Our correspondent learnt that 29 of the suspected cattle rustlers were arrested by the team, while two of them escaped.
The suspects were believed to have rustled the cows in Zamfara, Kebbi and Sokoto state before luck ran out of them in Niger State.
The Volunteer Group make up of youths of Fulani extraction had sighted the migrating rustlers and the rustled cows, while on surveillance of the area and alerted security operatives who rounded them up.
Our correspondent learnt that the arrested suspects were currently in the custody of the Department of Security Service (DSS), while the recovered animals were in the custody of the vigilantes and the military in Zungerua, Wushishi local government area of the state.
The Director General of the Niger State Nomadic Affairs, Ardo Abdullahi Babayo who confirmed the development to Daily Trust on phone in Minna, said the animals were suspected to have been rustled from Zamfara, Kebbi and Sokoto states.
He said according to security operatives, the suspected cattle rustlers were 31 but two escaped before they were rounded up in forest around near Yakila community.
He said the arrested suspects are helping security operatives in their investigation.
He called on those whose cattle were rustled within the period in the affected states to provide prove of ownership to claim them.
He commended the Fulani Volunteer Group, the military and the police for rising up to the challenges of cattle rustling and armed banditry in the state.
