By Ihechinyere Chigemeri-Uwom
The Abia State Government on Monday confirmed the arrest of three suspected cattle rustlers by its inter-agency security outfit, codenamed Operation Crush.
The arrest took place in the Ohiya community of Umuahia South Local Government Area, following a credible tip-off.
Briefing journalists in Umuahia, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Navy Comdr Macdonald Ubah (Rtd), credited the swift response of Operation Crush for the successful operation.
“We have a very strong farmers-herders committee, which received the intelligence and promptly forwarded it to Operation Crush,” Ubah said.
He confirmed that the suspects had already been profiled by the State Security Services.
Ubah expressed relief over the development, noting the serious tension the attempted theft could have caused in Ohiya had the rustling succeeded.
“This administration, under the leadership of Gov. Alex Otti, will yield no ground to criminals who make life unbearable for our citizens,” he stated.
According to him, the rustlers had planned to steal cattle from fellow Fulani herders, which could have falsely implicated the Ohiya Community.
“We are learning from incidents elsewhere. That is the approach Abia’s security framework is adopting.
“Our approach is proactive, intelligence-led, and preventative,” he added.
Ubah also noted that the police would handle further investigations and possible arrests of the intended buyers, whose mobile phones were recovered and are currently in custody.
He disclosed that further intelligence could lead to the arrest of the “Alhajis” who were allegedly meant to purchase the stolen cattle.
Also speaking, the traditional ruler of the Hausa Community in Abia, Alhaji Yaro Danladi, condemned the act of cattle rustling.
He noted that the situation could have sparked avoidable communal conflict and commended the swift intervention of security agencies.
According to one of the suspects, the initial intention was to steal just one cow, though the herders alleged that five had gone missing.
