The Ekiti State Police Command on Tuesday said it arrested 17 persons for cattle rustling and recovered 558 cattle from the suspects.
The Commissioner of Police, Joseph Eribo, who disclosed this yesterday in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, said on 21 January, based on a credible tip-off, the command operations, arrested, one Ibrahim Abubakar, a notorious cattle rustler and kidnapper.
“During investigation, Ibrahim Abubakar confessed that he is into cattle rustling business, and equally mentioned different occasions in the past where he attacked cattle owners and made away with their cattle.
“A large number of rustled cattle numbering 255 were recovered from him. He will be further investigated and charged to court,” Mr Eribo said.
According to him, investigation revealed that Mr Abubakar has over the years, rustled numerous cattle in Ekiti, Kwara and Kogi states, and has been on the wanted list of the three states.
The police also said that another 16 rustlers were arrested on the same day. Those arrested are Dauda Abdulrahman, Sanusi Abdullahi, Abdulmumini Abdullahi, Ibrahim Adamu, Aladu, Umaru Bala, Idris Abdullahi, Umaru Dairu, Adamu Abubakar, Salisu Abdullahi and Idris Abdullahi.
Others are Yahuza Abdulrahman, Abdullahi Salisu, Samaila Abdullahi, Ibrahim Abdullahi and Sanni Muhammadu.
Mr Eribo said that at the point of their arrest, 303 cattle suspected to have been rustled were found in their possession, adding that the suspects were unable to give satisfactory account of the cattle.
Baby factory
The police also said five suspects were arrested for illegal operation of baby factory and child exploitation along Ise road in Ikere Ekiti area of the state.
It said it apprehended the five suspects, after receiving a credible tip-off that one Oluwadare Onyechi, a 43-year-old woman, runs an illegal baby factory alongside four other suspects somewhere behind Inisa Hotel and Suit, along Ise-Ekiti Road, Ikere-Ekiti.
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“Upon the receipt of the information, the Command Operatives swung into action, cordoned off the premises used for the illegal business, and arrested Oluwadare Onyechi and four other accomplices namely, Onuoha Gloria ‘28 yrs’, Victoria Linus ‘25 yrs’, Ihegbogu Mercy ‘21 yrs’ and heavily pregnant Emmanuel Esther ’23yrs’.
“Search was conducted in the premises and six children within the age of 2 and 9 reasonably suspected to be under bondage and exploitation, were rescued. Items such as baby delivery materials, some rolls of dexamethasone tablet, and some bottles of Goya oil were recovered from the scene,” Mr Eribo said.
