Jalingo: The Taraba Government on Thursday returned 198 cows recovered from cattle rustlers to their rightful owners in Jalingo. Dr. Aminu Jauro, the Chairman of the Taskforce Committee on Recovery of Stolen Cows to Owners, facilitated the handover of the animals.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the total number of recovered livestock included 222 cows and 58 sheep. Dr. Jauro, who also serves as the Chairman of Jalingo Local Government Area and the state’s Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), credited the successful recovery to collaboration with security agencies and local hunters.
The committee conducted a thorough screening of 52 cattle owner groups and identified 198 cows that were returned to their owners, while 24 cows remain to be claimed. Dr. Jauro noted that the owners of the recovered cows hail from Ardo Kola Local Government Area. He emphasized that the committee would continue public sensitization efforts to ensure the remaining cows are claimed by their rightful owners.
The interception of the stolen cows occurred in Gassol Local Government Area, thanks to the efforts of intelligence officers working alongside local hunters. The committee responsible for the recovery includes representatives from the local government chairmen of Ardo Kola, Gassol, Jalingo, Lau, and Karim Lamido local government areas, as well as security agencies and MIYETTI Allah Cattle Breeders.
Alhaji Yau Ibrahim, Chairman of the MIYETTI Allah Cattle Breeders Association in Taraba, expressed gratitude to the state Governor, Agbu Kefas, for the initiative and for ensuring the return of the stolen cattle. He remarked that such efforts contribute to peaceful co-existence in the region.