Livestock guards arrest father, son for cattle rustling in Benue

The Benue State Livestock Guards have arrested a farmer, Atsagba Kuaa and his son at Gbamjimba in Guma Local Government Area of the state for rustling six cows.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Col. Paul Hemba retd, who disclosed this to Journalists on Saturday also said that a little boy was apprehended for openly grazing 60 cows at Yelwata.

According to the Security Adviser, the cattle rustler had confessed to rustling the cows for destroying his farm crops.

He also said the suspect wanted to sell the cows at a cattle market as compensation for his destroyed crops.

Hemba said, “When the man was accosted alongside his son with six cows, he said that the cows came and destroyed his farm, and as a result, he arrested the six cows and was already taken them from Gbamjimba to cattle market to go and sell as compensation for destroying his farm crops.

“We did not accept that explanation, so we see him as a cattle rustler and will be treated as such.

“Also, the livestock guards apprehended a little boy, who I doubt is up to 10 years old, alone openly grazing 60 cows in Yelwata. He was promptly arrested for flouting the state anti-open grazing law.

The Security Adviser noted that the State Governor, Samuel Ortom had emphasized that criminality in whatever form will not be tolerated, adding that the rustler and his son would be handed over to the police for prosecution.

He further said that the rustled cows would be handed over to the leadership of Miyeitti Alla in the state so as to trace the owner of the cows and hand them over to him.