Taskforce parades suspected rustlers in Plateau
Four persons who allegedly rustled cattle from Bisichi community in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State were yesterday paraded by Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) in the state. OPSH, the multisecurity taskforce in charge of maintaining peace in the state, in a statement issued by the Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Muhammad Bello, stated that the suspects were arrested following a tip off by a member of the state chapter of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in Nigeria (MACBAN).
The statement explained that the four suspects, all within the ages of 32 and below were arrested within Bisichi area at about 3:30pm on Friday.
It noted that three of the suspects; Tanimu Usman, Adamu Mohammed and Abdulrahman Mohammed, were the suspected rustlers while Dawa Dalyop was arrested as the buyer of the cattle.
“Presently, troops of OPSH deployed to Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Bassa LGA’s are on the trail of dealers of the rustled cattle and other related crimes,” the statement said.
Giving further details on the arrest, the taskforce’s Media and Information Officer, Major Adam Umar, told journalists that one of the ringleaders, Ashiru, was at large adding that the four suspects arrested had confessed to the crime in the presence of their families.
One of the paraded suspects, Usman, while interacting with journalists said he and the other suspects stole two cows with the intention of selling them.
Usman, who rears his father’s cattle in the area, said his parents had been forced to leave Plateau State for Bauchi following the crisis in the area a few years back.