No fewer than 47 AK47 assault rifles were among the weapons voluntarily surrendered to the Katsina State Government on Sunday by cattle rustlers in the state.
In the same vein, 267 dane guns being used by local vigilantes to ward off rustlers were also surrendered at a ceremony which took place at Kankara town, about two hours drive from Katsina, the state capital.
The state government had announced general amnesty for any cattle rustler who voluntarily relinquished his weapon.
The Secretary to the state government, Alhaji Mustapha Inuwa, in his address on the occasion, said the government had earlier recovered 57 AK 47 rifles from thecattle rustlers.
The SSG also revealed that 24,667 animals recovered from the rustlers had been returned to their various owners while 5,660 animals were yet to be claimed.
Inuwa spoke about the government’s readiness to meet the demands of the herdsmen among which are building of schools for their children, creation of “cattle tracks” for the cattle and construction of dams to attend to the water needs of their livestock.
“What we want in this state is peace and we are ready to accommodate their (herdsmen) demands for the sake of peace,” the SSG declared.
The state Commissioner of Police, Usman Abdullahi, assured repentant cattle rustlers of government’s readiness to accommodate them, warning other rustlers who had yet to return their weapons of dire consequences.
The CP lauded Governor Aminu Masari for his efforts at ensuring the return of weapons by the cattle rustlers.
He said, “I could recollect the governor held several meetings with his other colleagues affected by cattle rustling in Kaduna and I am happy that the meetings and the personal efforts of his Excellency have not been in vain.”
The Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumin usman, equally lauded the governor and the security agencies in the state for their efforts at seeing that the cattle rustlers embraced peace and surrendered their weapons.
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