Emir of Kano wants Islamic legal code apply on cattle rustlers

Muhammad Sanusi, emir of Kano, has recommended application of Islamic law in the prosecution of convicted cattle rustlers in Kano State.

This entails amputation of limbs, death penalty, life imprisonment or perpetual exile since the crime was committed in a state where Shari’a is in force, he said.

Sanusi made the recommendation at Kwanar Dawaki in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area of the state, when the state Police Command paraded 74 cattle rustlers with 818 cows and 87 sheep recovered from them within the last 30 days of intense bush combing at the Falgore Game Reserve.

The rustling of cattle for economic gains represents the primary drive for the attack of defenceless herdsmen, which analysts describe as “part of an economically based form of criminality perpetrated by criminal networks that are illegal and informal in their operations.”

Sanusi, who lamented that the activities of rustlers have resulted in loss of lives and distortions in the source of income and livelihood of communities, urged the Federal to assist in bringing the activities of cattle rustlers to an end.

Noting that community support to security agents is an important strategy towards asserting community vigilance and response to insecurity and cattle rustling, the traditional ruler expressed delight that soldiers have joined the police in tackling the menace in Kano and other parts of Northern Nigeria.

In his remarks, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje described the activities of cattle rustlers as worrisome, saying that, “this is happening as we are yet to get out of the menace of insurgency, but now another frightening dimension of crime has resurfaced, which is alarming.”

Ganduje, who was saddened that out of the 818 cattle rustlers that were arrested some are Fulani, urged security agencies to ensure that they face the wrath of the law, while assuring them of the state government’s support in their quest to fish out other suspects involved in cattle rustling.

The governor, who warned those involved in cattle rustling to realize that their days are numbered, disclosed a powerful committee return the recovered cattle to their rightful owners has constituted, explaining that the state Commissioner for local government, Murtala Sule Garo is the chairman.

Parading the suspects and the recovered cows and sheep, the state Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Musa Katsina said that three of the cattle rustlers were killed in a gun fight during the operation while a police officer sustained injury in the process.

CP Muhammad Katsina said that the police recovered large cache of arms from the suspects, even as some of them were captured dressed in police and army camouflage, which they use to terrorize and rob Fulani herdsmen.

“Notable among the suspects is Umaru Dogo Ndaiye, a Senegalese national was gunned down when he engaged our men in a gun battle who were on special duty at Falgore forest by Gazobi village”, the Commissioner added.

According to him, during the operation, the police recovered among other things, assorted fire arms including 3 AK 47 rifles, one Pump action rifle, two English pistols, eight locally made guns 21 arms, 42 AK 47 ammuniti, 28 live cartridges, 12 locally made AK 47 ammunition, bows, arrows and other local weapons.

Meanwhile, Governor Ganduje together with the state Commissioner of Police, the Brigade Commander, 3 Brigade and the state Director SSS met with Fulani and other stakeholders from Doguwa, Tudun Wada and Sumaila local governments to enlighten especially Fulani Herdsmen on the need to cooperate with security men to address cattle rustling