23rd November, 2016
The Nigerian Army on Wednesday handed over 316 cows suspected to have been rustled by the Boko Haram terrorists to the Borno Government for upkeep.
Col. Mustapha Anka, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations Department, handed over the cows to Alhaji Kakashehu Lawan, the Commissioner for Justice at a ceremony in Maiduguri.
Anka explained that the cows were arrested as part of investigation into alleged large scale rustling by the Boko Haram terrorists.
He said that the hand over followed a directive from the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 division of the Nigerian Army, Brig.-Gen. Victor Ezugwu.
He added that Ezugwu was concerned about the condition of the cows and asked that they should be handed over to government for proper upkeep.
He said “on behalf of the 7 division of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri, I hereby hand over the cows to you for proper upkeep.
“The 316 cows were arrested in collaboration with some individuals in the society as part of an ongoing investigation into large scale rustling by suspected Boko Haram terrorists, ” Anka said.
He lamented that the army had challenges taking care of the cows, a development he said necessitated the need to hand the cows over to the state government for care.
“We observed that the cows were getting sick and dying due to lack of proper care, since the suspected rustlers have been taken to Abuja for investigation.
“It is based on this premise that the GOC directed that the cows be handed over to the state government for upkeep, pending the conclusion of the case.”
Receiving the cows, Lawan thanked the army for the gesture.
He said that the state government was already in possession of 150 cows, suspected to have been rustled by the terrorists.
He said “I think that today’s ceremony can be traced to a resolution of the State Security Council meeting last month which approved the taking over of 150 cows earlier arrested from suspected Boko Haram terrorists collaborators.
“The cows were kept by the 195 Battalion of the Nigerian Army before the council directed their handover to the state for proper care.”
He promised that the state government would take proper care of the cows, pending the completion of the case.