Gombe Police arrest 18 rustlers with 483 animals
By Ben Ngwakwe, Gombe
Gombe State Police Command has assured its readiness to flush out all the criminals and hide out in the state.
The State Commissioner of Police, Babatunde Babaita made the declaration on Monday at the police headquarters during press briefing.
He disclosed that the rustlers were arrested in Billiri Local Government, following tip off by residents aware of their activities in Plateau, Bauchi and Taraba States.
Babaita 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 have been very proactive and recorded a tremendous success, based on credible intelligence that suspected cattle rustlers have rustled over 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 as 18 suspects were arrested. During a painstaking search of their luggages the following exhibits were recovered: two AK-47 rifles, one AK-49 rifle, 320 rounds of live ammunition, 14 empty magazine, three cutlasses.
“The fleeing rustlers abandoned: 483 cows, one hundred and eighty six (186) sheep and ram, three Donkeys, two Bajaj boxers motorcycles, two Honda motorcycles, seven Tecno Handsets, one Max phone, one Foxkong phone, and the sum of N994, 000.00 naira were found in their possession.
“The rustled animals are under the custody of DPO Billiri pending completion of our investigation before releasing them to their owners who have already started coming for identification. Case has been transferred to the State CID for discreet investigation and prosecution,” Babaita added.
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The Commissioner wanted to further reassure the public that the Command under his watch would relentlessly continue to pursue the criminals from all nooks and crannies of the State and will not give them room to hibernate.
The Command assures all the peace loving people of Gombe State that the Police in Gombe will continue to strive for a better service delivery in performance of its constitutional responsibilities of the protection of lives and properties, maintenance of law and order, investigation and prosecution of offenders.
