The Kaduna State Police Command has recovered 245 stolen cattle after foiling two separate cattle rustling and kidnapping attempts in Igabi and Kudan local government areas.
The operations, carried out on May 31 with the help of local vigilantes and community members, forced armed bandits to abandon their loot and flee into the bush.
According to police spokesperson DSP Mansir Hassan, the first attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday when bandits stormed a Fulani settlement on the outskirts of Rubu Village in Igabi LGA.
They tied up three cattle rearers and several guards before making away with a large herd. The incident was reported by the Miyetti Allah chairman in Igabi, prompting the Divisional Police Officer of Rigachikun to mobilise officers alongside Miyetti Allah vigilantes and the Civilian Joint Task Force.
Unable to withstand the pursuit, the bandits abandoned over 200 cattle and their captives and escaped into the bush. All the animals were recovered unharmed, while efforts to arrest the suspects continue.
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In a second operation in Hunkuyi, police recovered 45 additional cattle after credible intelligence revealed they had been hidden in a bush at Hawan Mai Mashi along the Zaria–Kano Expressway.
A joint team of police operatives and the Kaduna State Vigilance Service engaged the armed bandits in a gun battle, forcing them to flee with suspected injuries and leave the livestock behind.
Commissioner of Police Rabiu Muhammad commended the collaboration between the police, Miyetti Allah vigilantes, the Civilian Joint Task Force, and community members.
He described the outcome as evidence of the effectiveness of intelligence-driven and community-based policing, and urged residents to keep providing timely information to security agencies.
Kaduna remains one of the North-West states hardest hit by cattle rustling, banditry, and kidnapping, crimes that have disrupted farming, displaced thousands, and affected communities along flashpoint corridors including Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Igabi, Chikun, Kachia, and Kajuru.
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