Gunmen Steal 625 Cows, Promise To Return For Women

yetunde oyeleke

April 23, 2014 3:32 PM

Daredevil cattle rustlers have stolen 625 cattle and raped a teenager in Kaduna and Abuja, promising that they would return to abduct the women and kill the men in the communities.

Daily Trust, reported that in Nigeria's capital city Abuja, a 15-year-old girl whose father had nothing to offer the bandits was raped while 205 cattle were taken away.

Simmilarly, in Jere town, Kaduna, over 300 heads of cattle and dozens of goats and sheep were stolen just days after residents of Gidan Madu and Aribi communities lost 48 and 57 cattle respectively to the ruthless rustlers.

One of the victims, Abdullahi Ja’e, said the raiders operated at night heavily armed, moving from camp to camp where they take way herds of cattle between 43 and 80 at a time.

“The thieves were in two groups and operated in many locations around Jere town. The first group launched their attack near Chinka village along the Jere-Kagarko road around 9:30pm.

"At one Fulani camp near Chinka, they stole about 77 cattle; from there they moved to a nearby Fulani settlement and moved away over 80 cattle as well as dozens of goats and sheep,” Ja'e said.

Ja'e also said the raiders promised to return in month’s time to kill people and abduct women.

“Those wearing masks were actually the ones speaking and at Gidan Kwasau they told the people that another gang will return in a month’s time to kill people and abduct women."

Asked how the criminals are able to act with such impunity, Ja’e said it was probably due to the presence of informants living among the people.

“The thieves told the herders that they have informants all over the place who could take them to anyone who disclose their identity and I have no doubt about what they said," a source said.

Meanwhile, the Police say they are doing everything to control the situation.

yetunde oyeleke