Police arrests 18 suspected cattle rustlers, over 500 livestock in Gombe

Over 500 animals have been found and 18 alleged cattle rustlers have been detained by police in Gombe.

Ishola Babaita, the state’s commissioner of police, revealed this to reporters on Monday at the command centre in Gombe. He added that the fugitive cattle rustlers also left behind 186 sheep and a ram, three donkeys, two Bajaj boxers motorcycles, two Honda motorcycles, seven Tecno handsets, one Max phone, and one Foxkong phone, as well as N994, 000.00, which had been discovered in their possession.

He said: “Based on credible intelligence that suspected cattle rustlers have rustled over 500 cows from Plateau, Bauchi and Taraba States in large numbers and heading towards Gombe through Bauchi axis, police tactical teams in collaboration with vigilante group and local hunters, mobilized and trailed the rustlers where they were intercepted around Kalmai junction in Billiri LGA of Gombe State.

“As soon as the suspects sighted the police, some of them fled in disarray on their motor bikes and abandoned the rustled cows.

“However, the tenancy of the tactical teams paid off and 18 suspects were arrested. During a painstaking search of their luggage the following exhibits were recovered – two AK-47 rifles, one AK-49 rifle, 320 rounds of live ammunition, 14 empty magazine, and three cutlasses.”