Police repel armed rustlers in Kaduna, recover 39 stolen cows

Kaduna State Police Command has successfully thwarted an attack by suspected cattle rustlers, recovering 39 stolen cows in Igabi Local Government Area of the state.

The incident occurred at about 4:00 a.m. on November 7, when a group of armed men invaded Illa Village. The terrorists rustled cattle belonging to three Fulani herders and shot a 25-year-old resident, identified as Abubakar, in both legs.

After an alarm was raised, a joint patrol team comprising police officers from the Amana Outpost, vigilantes, and villagers mobilised to the scene. The team pursued the terrorists into the nearby bush and engaged them in a gun duel.

The Police Public Relations Officer for the command, DSP Mansir Hassan, confirmed the operation in a press statement released on Sunday, saying that.

“On receipt of the report, a combined team of police operatives led by the Officer-in-Charge, Amana Outpost, local vigilantes and villagers swiftly mobilised, pursued the suspects into the bush and engaged them in a gun duel”.

The rustlers, unable to withstand the joint operation, abandoned the 39 cows and fled in disarray with varying degrees of gunshot injuries. The police confirmed that the recovered livestock have since been handed back to their rightful owners.

DSP Hassan stated that the injured 25-year-old victim was rushed to the Shika Teaching Hospital, where he is currently receiving medical treatment.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Muhammad Rabiu, commended the joint operations and the gallantry of the community, and reiterated the command’s commitment to riding the state of criminal elements.