The Abia State Government has confirmed the arrest of three suspected cattle rustlers of Fulani descent by its inter-agency security outfit, codenamed Operation Crush.
The suspects, identified as Saidu Ali, Yakubu Mohammed and Adamu Isa, were apprehended in the Ohiya Community of Umuahia South Local Government Area following a credible tip-off from local intelligence.
Briefing journalists in Umuahia on Monday, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Navy Commander Macdonald Ubah (Rtd), credited the swift response of Operation Crush for the successful operation.
He disclosed that the suspects had already been profiled by the State Security Services, describing the arrest as a significant relief given the tension the attempted theft could have triggered in the Community.
According to him, the rustlers had planned to steal cattle from fellow Fulani herders, an act which could have falsely implicated the Ohiya Community and sparked communal unrest.
“We have a very strong farmers-herders committee, which received the intelligence and promptly forwarded it to Operation Crush.
“This administration, under the leadership of Governor Alex Otti, will yield no ground to criminals who make life unbearable for our citizens.
“We are learning from incidents elsewhere; that is the approach Abia’s security framework is adopting. Our approach is proactive, intelligence-led, and preventative”, he added.
Ubah also revealed that the police have commenced further investigations and are working to apprehend the intended buyers of the stolen cattle.
He said that mobile phones recovered from the suspects are currently in police custody, and further intelligence gathering could lead to the arrest of the Alhajis who were intending to buy the rustled cattles.
Also speaking, the traditional ruler of the Hausa Community in Abia, Alhaji Yaro Danladi, strongly condemned the attempted cattle rustling, warning that such acts could have sparked avoidable communal conflict.
He commended the swift intervention of the Security Agencies, which, he noted, prevented a potentially volatile situation.
One of the suspects in an interview with Newsmen told said that they had initially planned to steal only one cow, although the herders claim that five cattles had gone missing.
