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How cattle rustling made us abandon animal rearing — Herdsmen
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As more bandits resort to lucrative kidnapping
From Femi Mustapha in Kaduna
The Kaduna State Police has recently announced that its operatives arrested 2 suspected cattle rustlers and recovered 273 cows that were linked to notorious bandits.
The Police Public Relations officer in the state, DSP Mansir Hassan, said the feat was achieved on 11th May 2025, acting on credible intelligence on the movement of suspected rustled cattle, mostly from Kauru, Kaura, and Kachia local government areas of Kaduna state, that are passing through the eastern axis of Akilibu through Rijana Forest.
This sounds like a welcome development to the residents of Kaduna State and environs, as cattle rustling, in recent times, has become a perpetual problem that now negatively affects the state and the national economy, which leads to severe insecurity and affects the well-being of people in rural communities.
Although the menace is relatively new in Nigeria, especially on a large scale, it became more conspicuous when it started affecting the elites in the country, who are most of the time the owners of the rustled cows.
The problem is more disturbing in rural communities where farming and cattle herding are the main means of livelihood for the people.
Findings revealed that cattle rustling has posed a serious problem to the well-being of rural communities in Kaduna State.
The deteriorating living conditions of the rural communities and the increasing movement of people from the rural areas to the urban centres are the result of years of abandonment of these areas by the government.
Investigation also revealed that Armed bandits who have been terrorizing owners of livestock, especially cows, in Kaduna State have now resorted to kidnapping people and demanding ransom for their release.
According to the Police Public Relations officer in Kaduna State, DSP Mansir Hassan, the 273 cows recovered from the two suspects, Tanimu Ibrahim and Bello Musa, are the properties of two well-known bandit leaders who are currently on the run.
The suspects were arrested by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, led by CSP Sani Zuntu with the support of the Military and some local vigilante operatives, who intercepted the said cattles along Niger -Kaduna state border in Ishau area in Paikoro Local Government Area of Niger State.
Investigation also shows that the Cows are enthralled to the Shiroro Axis, which has become a kidnapper’s den. It was gathered that the bandits were operating from bushes located in different parts of Kaduna State. The most prominent are the Birnin Gwari, Kakau, and Galadimawa forests, which are prominent in the cattle rustling.
However, residents observed that there has been a change as the bandits keep the rustled Cows with trusted partners and carry on their kidnapping.
A resident who will not want his name on print said the bandits are gradually changing strategy, which is unconnected to the absence of cows.
“Most of us have abandoned the rearing of animals, especially cows, and we did that because of the unchecked activities of rustlers who made us weep like children.
“They attack our homes, rape our wives and daughters and forcefully take our animals. That is if one is lucky to escape alive, because they often parade dangerous weapons during their operations,” a resident of one of the affected villages said.
The Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, CP Rabiu Muhammad, psc, mni, who was present in the forest, applauded and commended the swift action of the officers in executing the successful operation.
He reiterated the Command’s unwavering commitment to fighting criminality in all forms and called on the public to continue providing useful information to aid the ongoing investigations.
According to him, it is evident that the security situation has improved significantly in Kaduna State.
Many residents who spoke to Citizenship opined that many of the high-profile crimes in the state have been brought under control, saying cattle rustling and kidnapping for money would be tackled.
However, a security expert, Dr Yahuza Gesto, opined that cattle rustling has become more glaring in Kaduna State because of the sophisticated arms that cattle rustlers are armed with.
According to him, to tackle cattle rustling properly, the government should focus on the nature of coexistence among rural communities, the nature of cattle rustling, the socio-economic effects of cattle rustling on the well-being of rural communities, and the existing cattle rustling preventive approaches.
