By Sanusi Muhammad
Gusau
The Zamfara state police command has apprehended one of the suspected cattle rustlers, terrorising communities in Niger and Zamfara states.
Parading the suspect shortly at the end of the year press briefing by the command in his office yesterday, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kenneth Ebrimson said the suspect, Rabe Bello was arrested following a tip up by anti-cattle rustlers squad of the command along Dansadau forest in Maru local government area of the state.
“Following investigation by the command sometime in May, 2017, the suspect, Rabe Bello with his gang members, rustled 306 cattle, 100 sheep belonging to one Ali Malam Gado (m) of Niger state,” the commissioner stated.
Kenneth further stated that, within his stewardship in office about two weeks ago, the command had succeeded in the arrest of over 20 criminals ranging from brigands, kidnappers, cattle rustlers and other related criminals as part of the command’s modest achievements recorded.
Speaking to Blueprint, the suspect Rabe Bello, confessed to the crime, saying only three cattle were given to him out of the 306 stolen, stressing that the remaining cattle were with his boss, Ali, currently residing inside Birnin Yero forest in Niger state.
“I was re-arrested by the police at Dansadau when I took my stolen three cattle for sale. When the owner of the cattle identified them, he notified the police immediately,” Bello said.
According to him, since he joined the gang of cattle rustlers about two years ago, they had stolen hundreds of them but that only 10 cattle were given to him while the remaining were with their leaders.
He regretted joining cattle rustling, and pledged to quit the act if discharged by the court.
Similarly, the state police commissioner disclosed that the command had adopted the Police Information Network System on the need to be security conscious and to bring positive information to police about criminals’ hideouts, for necessary action.
“We adopted the police information and complaints boxes in all our divisional stations, out posts and area command across the 14 local government areas of the state, and drafted thousands of pamphlets containing all our phone numbers for distribution to the general public aimed at motivating them to help the police with positive information about criminals’ hideouts,” the commissioner stated.
