Suspected cattle rustlers killed by Nigerian army

Captain Stephen Ikechukwu Eze, assistant director of army public relations, said on Thursday the army was continuing with the operation code named ‘Restore Peace’. It started on 10 July following a request by the governors of seven north-western states to combat rampant cattle rustling and armed robbery in their states.

Another army spokesman Colonel Usman Abdul said soldiers arrested 64 suspected armed bandits during operations in the states and handed them over to police while recovering 7,119 cattle, sheep and goats.

Widespread problem​

According to numerous reports in the Nigerian press, cattle rustling has been a growing and widespread problem in recent years, with crimes increasing in many states.

Reports of gunmen with automatic weapons stealing cattle are numerous. In 2013, Nigeria’s vice-president was a victim of cattle rustling, when armed men attacked his farm and stole over 1,000 cattle.