Members of operation crush, a detailed security team have arrested three cattle rustlers at Ohiya Umuahia.
The arrested rustlers are Saidu Ali, Yakubu Mohammed and Adamu Isa. Abia state government alleged that they wanted to steal six cows out of thirty eight cows belonging to a herder before the security intervened.
Parading the suspects at government house Umuahia, the special adviser to Governor Otti on security, Navy Commander Macdonald Uba retired, said on Sunday evening, members of Operation Crush, which is the state’s inter-agency organization that is detailed to fight insecurity in the state, following a tip-off caught some cattle rustlers of the Hausa Fulani descent in Ohiya in Umuahia South LGA of Abia state.
Uba recalled that the state have been inundated with issues of Fulani headers kidnapping, maiming, and collecting ransom in most parts of the state, especially Umunneochi.
He added that they are not unmindful of the incidents of Fulani farmers crisis in Benue State and stated that these rustlers were caught in Ohiya, rustling cattle they had already arranged for the buyers from their fellow Fulani headsmen.
According to him, the import of their action would have meant disaster for the citizens of that Ohiya community, if not for the swift action of Operation Crush.
Uba said “As you well know, we have a very strong farmers’ headers committee who got the tip-off and forwarded the intelligence to Operation Crush.
“They swiftly went and made this arrest and they have since been profiled by the Directorate of State Security Services”.
He disclosed that “we all know what would have happened if those cattle were rustled and the effect it would have had on the Ohinya community.
This would have occasioned a reprisal attack by the owners of the cattle that have been rustled. We have carried out preliminary investigations, which was conducted by the DSS. And we’ll be handing them over to the police for further investigation.
Commander Macdonald Uba retired said “This is to state that Abia State, under the leadership of His Excellency Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, will yield no ground to criminals, most especially those that will make life unbearable for the citizens of Abya State.
He said “That is the essence of this press briefing.
Also speaking, the leader of housa fulani community in Abia state, Alhaji Yaro Danladi condemned the attitude of the suspects.
He warned that the housa community in the state want peace, as such will not tolerate such to repeat.
Our correspondent reports that one the suspects, admitted that he was called for business by one of them who is a herder, other two denied the allegation, saying that they are farmers.
