Committee recovers 262 rustled cows and sheep in Taraba

From Nick Yashi, Jalingo

The committee on the recovery of cows, sheep in Taraba state, had in collaboration with security agencies recovered 262 rustled cows and sheep and also handed them to their owners. 

The committee, headed by the Chairman, Association of Local Government of Nigeria, (ALGON) Taraba state and  five other local government chairmen in conjunction with security agencies, handed over the animals to their owners today Thursday at the College of Agriculture, Science and Technology Jalingo, the Taraba state capital.

Speaking during the ceremony, the ALGON chairman, Taraba state, Dr. Aminu Jauro Hassan, narrated the process by which the animals were  recovered. 

He said: "The committee recoverd 262  cows. The committee was given the mandate to source, identify, verify and ensure the genuine owners of the cattle and hand them over to them.

"In the last four weeks, this committee in collaboration with security agencies have been working assiduously to justify the confidence reposed on us by this government.

"I am happy to inform you that after interviewing, screening, and coming up with about 52 groups, to look at the cows whether they belong to them, we have managed yesterday to arrive at the final conclusion. 

"After the screening and confirmation, we have unanimously agreed that the inscription, the depiction and marks on the cows, we have 90% assurance that they have matched those cows. 

"So all the security agencies, the local government chairmen, that worked in the past four weeks on this rigorous exercise, have unanimously agreed that this cows belong to this group of people. We are going to hand over this cows and continue to give publicity for the people to come and identify the remaining ones". 

He further disclosed that the cows were recovered from neighbouring states after intelligence collaboration between security agencies in those states. 

Hassan added: "this cows were recovered from the axis of Karim Lamido, Plateau, Nasarawa, but they were intersected in Gassol.

"There was intelligence collaboration with the security chiefs.  So after due diligence, they struck and collected the cows while some ran away. So all the security agencies and local government chairmen were alerted. We came together in Namnai. From there, the cows were herded to Ardo Kola, at the College of Agric. The cows have been protected by the college community".

According to him, the data base of the claimants have been created and the cows would be handed over to them. 

While appreciating Governor Agbu Kefas for the confidence reposed on them, Hassan, assured that all the local government chairmen will continue to work in line with the five finger agenda of governor.