The
Borno state government has made a shocking discovery how Boko Haram
insurgents have worked out another means of financing their terror raids
and warned citizens to be very careful.
Boko Haram members (Photo:File)
Borno State government on Friday says it has discovered that Boko
Haram insurgents have perfected a plot to trade in stolen cattle and use
proceeds from the sales to fund their terror plans.
This was made public by the Secretary to the Borno state
government, Usman Jidda Shuwa who also revealed that the state
government has placed a ban on imports of cattle through various routes
as well as sale of dry meat across the state to counter the terrorists.
According to the statement, intelligence reports hinted Governor
Kashim Shettima government of Borno state that most of the cattle being
traded at Gaboru, Dusuman, Shuwari and Ngom cattle markets in Borno
were direct proceeds of castle rustling perpetrated by Boko Haram
insurgents.
‘These cattle were sold at prohibitive costs to unsuspecting
customers through some unscrupulous middlemen who use underhand ploy
to deliberately disguise the transactions as legitimate,’ said Shuwa.
The statement further states that a new management committee
comprising the military, police, the Department of State Security (
DSS), civilian Joint Task Force, (CJTF), have been asked to take full
charge of the cattle markets and scrutinise sources of all cattle,
delay slaughter of certified cattle for claims in addition to the ban on
‘imported’ cattle and sale of dry meat.
The committee is to ensure that a mandatory period of three to four
days is observed on all cattle sold before they are sent to the
slaughter house in order to enable interested parties to inspect them so
that those whose cattle had been rustled could make claims and counter
claims.
A cheque of N100m was presented to the leadership of cattle traders
and butchers as bail-out to those who have been negatively affected by
the activities of cattle rustlers.
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