Yariman Katsina, army, police officers linked to cattle theft

Nine suspected cattle rustlers have been charged to court in Katsina.

Also an army 2nd Lieutenant, Mohammed Gada and a Police Inspector, Kabir Idris, are to be departmentally dealt with in connection with the case. They may also be arraigned at a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Katsina State. However, the involvement of Yariman Katsina, Sada Rufa’i, in the case will be decided by the Katsina Emirate Council before further action is taken. The case involves the sale of 30 cows which were recovered from rustlers in Safana LGA of the state.

Efforts to get the palace spokesman proved abortive yesterday but Daily Trust learnt that he travelled out of town with the emir. The palace had earlier issued a statement dated November 26, 2015 suspending the Yariman Katsina over an ongoing investigation.

According to the Police First Information Report read at the court, the nine accused conspired in Safana to select and keep 30 cows from the recovered herd suspected to have been rustled on November 11, 2015. It stated that the 30 cows were taken to the Agege cattle market in Lagos on an agreed amount of N2.1m that was intended to be shared among themselves before the deal burst.

The Chief Magistrate, Kabir Shuaibu, fixed December 22 for mention of the case. Police in the state had already arraigned nine people before the Chief Magistrate’s Court who were suspected to be involved in the theft. Those arraigned include; Yahaya Hamisu the Sarkin Pawa of Safana, Bishir Ibrahim the Wakilin Hakimi, Auwalu Ali, Idris Abdullahi, Babangida Nasiru, Babangida Inusa, Ibrahim Balarabe, Nura Sha’aban. The ninth person, one Abdulkadir, is at large.