Cattle Rustling a Major Security Challenge in Plateau-STF

Posted by African Examiner Agabus Pwanagba, Latest Headlines, News Friday, November 29th, 2013

Agabus Pwanagba, Jos

The Special Task Force responsible for the maintenance of peace in Plateau State has identified cattle rustling as one of the major security challenges bedeviling the State.

The Commander of the STF, Major General David Enetie disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists while on a visit to the NUJ press centre in Jos on Thursday.

He said, “One of the major problems we have here is cattle rustling. Its one of the causes of conflict here on the Plateau.

Adding that, “The truth also is that, it is one of the viable economic activity for unemployed youths and of course definitely they will have some sponsors.

“Once there is a case of cattle rustling, you will expect a reprisal, especially when we cannot recover them” he stressed.

The Commander further explained that, the populace gets to know about cattle rustling when there is problem, but once the STF recovers them, the public don’t get to know about any rustling.

“The night before the Barkin Ladi attack, we recovered 120 cows in Shendam. Once these cows are rustled, we’ve made effort to recover them, but the truth is we have challenges.

“The challenges first and foremost, why do you even have to go and steal? How do we address and guide against people going to steal?. Which is a criminal act.

Enetie further stressed that there must be a legal input to sanction those involve in perpetrating such criminal act.

He further asked, “How do they leave the state? Where is the market for stolen cattle? Why is this business thriving?

The Commamder said the STF and other stakeholders have discussed at length, saying the challenges of cattle rustling is not just in Nigeria, but in some other African countries like Kenya.

Enetie further stated that after the recent attack, the STF is kind OF going to carry out an “After action review”.

He called on the citizenry to condemn cattle rustling, provide the security agencies with necessary information and urged them not to patronise cattle rustlers in the interest of peace in the state.