The Taraba State government, yesterday, returned 198 cows recovered from cattle rustlers to their owners in Jalingo, the state capital.
Dr Aminu Jauro, chairman of the task force committee on recovering stolen cows from owners who handed them over, said the total number of recovered cows was 222, and 58 sheep were also recovered.
Jauro, the chairman of the Jalingo local government area and the state chairman of ALGON said the feat was achieved through collaboration between security agencies and the local hunters.
After a careful screening of 52 cattle owner’s groups, he said the committee had identified and agreed to return the 198 cows to their owners.
The chairman, who said the cows’ owners were from the state’s Ardo Kola local government area, also said the committee would continue to announce to the public that the owners could come for the remaining cows.
He recalled that the cows were intercepted in the Gassol local government area by intelligence officers working in collaboration with local hunters.
He listed the committee members as the chairmen of the local government areas of Ardo Kola, Gassol, Jalingo, Lau, and Karim Lamido.
He said that representatives of security agencies and MIYETTI Allah Cattle Breeders were also members of the committee.
Jauro commended Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba for giving them the opportunity to serve on the committee.
In his remarks, the chairman of the MIYETTI Allah Cattle Breeders Association in Taraba, Alhaji Yau Ibrahim, commended the governor for returning the stolen cows to their rightful owners.
Ibrahim said that such efforts would enhance the peaceful coexistence of the people.
