‘74,000 cattle rustled in four years in Kaduna’

The Aldo of Kujama in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Alhaji Idris Gunderi, weekend said over 74,000 cattle were rustled across Kaduna State in four years. He said the owners of those cattle were left without compensation nor assistance from both state and federal governments.

Fielding questions from newsmen in Kaduna, he said he had the list of those affected. He said government must find a way to assist those whose cows were stolen as a way of providing succour to them.

“Nothing was given to the Fulanis who own those cattle not even a mudu of maize as government assistance. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has called on Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State to reject the proposed life pension which members of the state house of assembly proposed for themselves.

SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, in a letter weekend, said the bill passed last week by the lawmakers amounted to an incorrect and improper performance of public functions.

“It’s clearly an abuse of legislative It’s unfortunate the kind of situation our people find themselves,” he said. He alleged that cattle rustling had continued without any serious measures to curtail it.

He also decried the failure to prosecute culprits. functions by the lawmakers. Rather than sponsoring bills that would improve access of children in Bayelsa to quality education, the lawmakers are taking advantage of their entrusted public positions to propose a bill to collect large severance benefits.

“The people of Bayelsa would expect you, as their governor, to use your entrusted public office to act in the public interest, including by rejecting the life pension bill and prevailing upon the House of Assembly to immediately drop the bill.”