AISHA ABUBAKAR
Police operatives from the Gombe State Command successfully intercepted a number of cattle rustlers, who besieged three states Plateau, Bauchi, and Taraba, carting away herds of cattle and tried to escape through Bauchi axis into Gombe State.
The suspects, while escaping, were reportedly stopped in their track by the Police tactical team of the Gombe Command under the leadership of CP Ishola Babaita.
P.M.EXPRESS reports as disclosed by the Gombe State Command’s Spokesperson, ASP Mahid Mu’azu Abubakar, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Ishola Babaita.
ASP Abubakar said, “In continuation with our avowed determination to further stem the tide of crime and ensure that criminals do not gain foot hold in Gombe State, the Command over the weekend has been very proactive and recorded a tremendous success, based on credible intelligence that suspected cattle rustlers have rustled over five hundred (500) cows from Plateau, Bauchi and Taraba States in large numbers and heading towards Gombe through Bauchi axis, Police tactical teams in collaboration with vigilante group and local hunters, mobilized and trailed the rustlers where they were intercepted around Kalmai junction in Billiri LGA of Gombe State”.
“As soon as the suspects sighted the Police some of them fled in disarray on their motor bikes and abandoned the rustled cows. However, the tenancy of the tactical teams paid off and eighteen (18) suspects were arrested. During a painstaking search of their luggages the following exhibits were recovered: two (2) AK-47 rifles, one (1) AK-49 rifle, three hundred and twenty (320) rounds of live ammunition, fourteen (14) empty magazine, three (3) cutlasses.”
“The fleeing rustlers abandoned: four hundred and eighty three (483) cows, one hundred and eighty six (186) sheep and ram, three (3) Donkeys, two Bajaj boxers motorcycles, and others recovered as exhibits.”