Ibrahim Oyawale in Lokoja
The Kogi State Government, in joint operations with the Nigerian Army, security agencies, and local vigilantes, has recovered about 1,000 rustled livestock in a sustained offensive against bandits in the state.
The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, disclosed this in a statement issued yesterday in Lokoja, the state capital.
Fanwo said the offensive targeted remnants of the late bandit kingpin, Kachalla Ibrahim Battijo, and other cattle-rustling syndicates operating within the state and across the North Central region.
He said the recovery was made possible by credible and timely intelligence acted upon by the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Hybrid Forces from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Department of State Services (DSS, the Police, local vigilante and hunters.
According to Fanwo, over 200 of the recovered animals were traced to the criminal network of the late Battijo. In contrast, the remaining livestock were recovered from other armed bandits engaged in cattle rustling across Kogi and neighbouring states.
He said the criminals had attempted to move the stolen livestock through Kogi for sale.
“The intelligence revealed that the criminal groups planned to sell the rustled livestock to raise funds for procurement of arms, food supplies and other logistics,” Fanwo stated.
He explained that acting on the intelligence, security operatives engaged the bandits in fierce gun battles at different locations.
“Several of the criminals were neutralised, while others fled with varying degrees of bullet wounds, abandoning the rustled livestock in their attempt to escape.
“I can confirm that many of the flies that chose to follow the corpse to the grave have now been buried alongside it, while our security forces are actively tracking those who escaped with varying degrees of bullet wounds. They will not escape justice,” he said.
He noted that the remnants of Battijo’s gang had become increasingly desperate, following the elimination of their kingpin, as sustained operations continued to dismantle their network and deny them access to logistics and freedom of movement within the state.
The commissioner disclosed that the recovered livestock were kept in a secure location in the Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of the state, while arrangements were being made to identify the rightful owners for prompt return.
Fanwo commended the ONSA, the Chief of Army Staff, the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of DSS, as well as the military, police, vigilantes, and hunters for their professionalism, bravery, and seamless collaboration.
He described the operation as another major milestone in the state’s sustained war against criminality.
“Our feet will remain firmly on the pedals until we rid Kogi of criminal elements and restore the confidence of our people to sleep with both eyes closed,” he stated.
Reiterating the government’s commitment, Fanwo said the administration would continue to maximise security support provided by President Bola Tinubu to safeguard lives and property.
He stressed that the President had demonstrated strong commitment to improving national security, and “Kogi is already recording significant gains through this collaboration.
“We will not relent until every part of our state is safe for our people.”
He urged residents to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible intelligence, assuring that all useful information would be treated with utmost confidentiality and acted upon promptly.
Fanwo reiterated that security remained a collective responsibility and reaffirmed Kogi government’s resolve to ensure that the state remained hostile to criminals and safe for all law-abiding residents.