Sokoto State Police command says it has commenced investigation into the circumstances that led to the escape of over three hundred and fifteen livestock from Adiya farm in Sokoto.
The command spokesman Deputy Superintendent of Police Sanusi Abubakar said the live stocks were not rustled as claimed earlier by management of the farm.
Mr. Abubakar revealed this in a statement he signed and made available to newsmen in Sokoto.
He said the livestock was said to have escape from the farm, but the police has launched an investigation to unravel the circumstances that led to the escape of large herds of livestock.
Mr. Abubakar said the police had earlier receive the information on intrusion into the farm and escape of three hundred and fifteen livestock and responded immediately by deploying its tactical
teams for fact finding and on-the-spot assessment of the incident.
The police spokesman says while this is ongoing, the police also received information from the owner of the farm that one hundred and thirty five out of the over three hundred missing livestock have returned back to the farm comprising of 65 bulls and 78 rams.
He said police had already intensified Investigation into the matter as there are elements of foul play suspected and that it is not cattle rustling as earlier reported by some media outlets.
DSP Abubakar says the Sokoto state Police Commissioner, Mohammed Usaini has called for calm and urge residents not to panic, as the police under his watch is mapping out strategies on ways to tackle the matter and overcome similar criminal challenges facing the state.
Cattle Rustling by Armed Groups locally known as Bandits has been a major problem in parts of the NorthWest and Sokoto State has not been left out of the menace with several herds of Cattle having been rustled from owners by such groups.
The Management of Adiya Farms in Sokoto State had earlier raised an alarm about the disappearance of a large number of cattel from the farm alleging they were rustled by unknown persons.
