A total of 56 cows were recovered from rustlers in the Abia community of Nunya as five persons were killed at the Lokpanta cattle market by yet-to-be-identified assailants.
In a statement Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO ASP Maureen Chinaka said, “Today 19/10/2024 Â the Commissioner of Police Abia State Command, CP Danladi Isa, and his entourage visited Lokpanta Cattle Market in Umunneochi LGA and Eziama Nunya in Isuikwato LGA Abia State, for an on-the-spot assessment following the recent attack of seven youths.
“1 bodily injured, and 56 missing cattle (now recovered) by yet-to-be-identified assailants in the areas above. During the visit, the CP extended his heartfelt sympathies to community members.
He reassured them of the Command’s unwavering commitment to bringing the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice and urged them to remain calm, refrain from taking laws into their own hands, and cooperate fully with the Police.
“To expedite justice, the Command in collaboration with local guards from Seriki Hausa, has successfully recovered 56 of the missing cattle.
“Intensive operations are in progress to track down the remaining cattle and apprehend the assailants”.
However, the Abia northern community monarch in Abia, Sarki Yaro Danladi, the Sarkin Hausawa Abia, and also, the chairman, Northern Traditional Council, South-South and South East and chairman, Northern Community, Abia State have sued for peace, stating that at Nunya in Isuikwuato LGA, “we lost one cattle herder and his 56 cows were missing, but with the intervention of the police, other security agencies and other people, we discovered the missing 56 cows”.
According to him, while that of Nunya happened between Thursday and Friday, another happened on Wednesday last week at Olokoro in Umuahia South LGA where another herder was killed, one shot at the leg and another had matchet cuts, while on Monday last week, another five were killed at Lokpanta cattle market in Umunneochi.
Sarki Danladi expressed his unhappiness over the development and appealed for peace, stating, “I am calling on Northern and Igbo leaders, especially my northern brothers to be patient and to understand that these things were not done intentionally.
“I am also pleading with leaders and brothers, mainly the 596 groups that make up the Consensus Movement of Northern Nigeria that they should please calm down. Let us handle this thing peacefully as brothers and sisters.
“As a traditional ruler, I would like peace to reign in the whole country, irrespective of tribe and religion. This is our country. It belongs to all of us.” He urged the northerners to control their youths to behave according to the rule of law.
Reacting, the Abia State Government says, the state governor is worried over the killings at Lokpanta, disclosing that the five victims were firewood sellers who went into the bush to fetch firewood when they were killed.
According to the Security Adviser to the state governor, Macdonald Uba Rtd, an investigation is ongoing to fish out the perpetrators of the act, pointing out that as a result therefore, “the state governor has given order to reform and re-invigorate the committee that looks into the farmers/herders, headed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG)”.
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