• As Joint Operation Recovers 35 Rustled Cows, AK-47 in Patigi Forest
Four suspected bandits have been killed and 35 stolen cows recovered following a joint security operation that successfully foiled a cattle-rustling attack in Lade, Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The operation followed intelligence that armed men had invaded a cattle camp on September 11 and reportedly rustled about 40 cows.
Acting swiftly on the information, personnel of the Kwara State Police Command, Nigerian Army, Forest Guards and local vigilantes launched a coordinated pursuit of the suspected rustlers into the surrounding forest.
The suspects reportedly engaged the security operatives in a gun battle, during which four of them were neutralised. Other members of the group are said to have escaped with gunshot wounds.
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At the end of the operation, 35 of the stolen cows were recovered, alongside a locally fabricated AK-47 rifle. Security personnel have since intensified efforts to track the fleeing suspects, who are believed to be wounded, and recover the remaining livestock.
The successful operation underscores the importance of intelligence-led policing and closer collaboration among conventional security agencies, forest guards and community-based security groups in confronting rural crime.
The Commissioner of Police in Kwara State, Ojo Adekimi, commended the security agencies and local vigilantes for their courage, coordination and swift response, urging them to sustain the momentum in the fight against cattle rustling, banditry and other forms of criminality.
