Ex-cattle rustlers surrender weapons, animals; embrace amnesty in Katsina

More than 97 AK47 rifles, 213 dane guns and 28,000 animals were recovered from some repentant cattle rustlers in Katsina, in an act of agreeing to the amnesty plea of the State government.

The return of the weapons and animals were central objectives of the Katsina State’s Dialogue and Amnesty programme led by the Secretary to the State Government, Mustapha Inuwa in Kankara Local Government, Katsina state.

Inuwa said the programme was initiated to end the incessant attacks on herdsmen and farmers in the state. Inuwa noted that the state’s amnesty committee had recovered 28,170 animals from the rustlers out of which 24,567 had been handed over to their rightful owners. He however noted that 3,014 animals had died while 90 had not been reclaimed.

Receiving the weapons at a ceremony organized by the State’s Amnesty Committee, Governor Aminu Masari, commended the committee, traditional rulers and members of the groups for the success being recorded by the programme. While noting that noted that 95 per cent of the repentant cattle rustlers resorted to the act to protest against unsavoury circumstances and their raw deals in the hands of individuals and groups.

Masari said the event will further lessen the sufferings of beneficiaries, adding that his administration is committed to improving the predicament of the ex-cattle rustlers and herdsmen in the state by demarcating grazing reserves and providing more earth dams among others.

While pledging the government’s readiness to provide basic amenities to help them resettle, Masari urged them to interact with members of their respective communities freely and also urged the people of the communities and security agencies to accept them back, without stigmatisation.