Police to curb cattle rustling with trackers – IGP

By Chizoba Ogbeche Abuja

Nigeria Police Force has unveiled animal identifi cation and tracking device for the eliminating the menace of cattle rustling and pastoralists/farmers clashes in the country. Speaking during the unveiling of the anti-cattle rusting tools by the Implementation Committee on Curtailment, yesterday in Abuja, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Idris Ibrahim, said the menace had adversely impeded national growth and cohesion. He said: “We are all witnesses to the serious security and socioeconomic challenges the twin menace of cattle rustling and pastoralists/farmers clashes have infl icted on Nigeria over the years.

“Th e once cherished oneness and unity among the several segments of our nation, irrespective of ethnic or religious diff erence, have been seriously eroded leading to high level of mutual distrust between sections of the country. “Th is is a keg of gun powder that must be assuaged before it consumes all of us…It was on this ground that the Nigeria Police Force, under my command, decided to, among other measures, establish a National Implementation Committee on the Curtailment of Cattle-rustling in Nigeria (ICCRN).” Th e police boss, who was represented by Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of ICT, DIG Folusho Adebanjo, said: “It is in realisation of its mandate and terms of reference that the committee engaged the services of INGSOC International Ltd to bring up a technology of international standards for animal identifi cation, registration and tracking.” Earlier, Chairman of ICCRN, AIG Charles Ugomuoh, said the mandate of the committee was being carried out through provision and application of animal loading and offl oading among others. Ugomuoh, who is also in charge of Force Animal Branch, noted that the frequent clashes between pastoralists and farmers had posed a negative impact on the socio-economic well-being of the country. He explained that the technology would be deployed for proper identifi cation, tracing and tracking of animals to prevent cattle rustling and called for inter-agency and multi-sectoral collaboration to tackle security challenges. National President, Mihyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Muhammad Kirowa, represented by Mr. Idris Bawa, said the association would support the initiate to end the menace of cattle rustling. He commanded the federal government for

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