The Nigerian Navy School of Armament Technology Troops, Kachia, Kaduna State on Tuesday paraded five bandits suspected to be rustlers.
The Command also displayed 267 cows and 51 sheep recovered from the five suspects while responding to a distress call on Saturday, October 26.
Handing over the animals to Kaduna State government in line with the mandate of the local security called Operation Yaki at the school located at Km 15, along Kachia road, Kaduna, the Commandant, Commodore Tanko Yakubu Pani noted that, issues of rustling and other criminal activities like kidnapping and banditry were not new in the area, but his command would intensify efforts to make it safer.
According to him, “following a distress call about the presence of invading cattle rustlers in Kujama forest, on October 26, we deployed troops to carry out hot pursuit of the criminals.
“Fortunately, the troop intercepted and recovered 267 cows and arrested five cattle rustlers while others escaped into the bush.
“We have been able to restore sanity in a few months since my assumption of the Command as Commandant as attested to by the communities and motorists plying Kachia – Kaduna and Kachia – Jere roads. This is isolated case and we will be doing our best to consolidate on current successes without compromise.
“Criminals should know there is no room for them here. We shall continue to locate criminal hideouts and smoke them out.”
However, he appealed to the community to provide credible intelligence to enable the command respond timely and appropriately to any unrest in the area just as he promised continuous synergy with sister security agencies in their quest to protect the Nigerian territorial integrity.
The livestock received on behalf of the State Government, Chairman, Kachia Local Council, Mr. Peter Agite, appreciated the command in keeping the area safe and helping in recovery of stolen economy.
He then called on locals whose animals have been stolen recently to come to the command with concrete proof of ownership to reclaim them.
