Gambo said the gunmen had harassed the cattle, sending them into different directions before grouping leading them to Fan district of Barkin Ladi.
About 82 herds of cattle are still missing after 109 were rustled Monday evening around Kasa, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State where two Fulani travellers were killed on Sunday.
The Barkin Ladi Secretary of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in Nigeria (MACBAN), Abubakar Gambo, yesterday told Daily Trust that 27 of the cattle had been recovered by men of Operation Safe Haven who engaged the criminals in a shoot-out.
Gambo said the gunmen had harassed the cattle, sending them into different directions before grouping leading them to Fan district of Barkin Ladi.
He said: “The young men tending to the cattle had ran off when they heard the gunshots and saw the rustlers coming. They had to escape otherwise they would be killed, but they saw the youths, and they are Berom youths guiding the cattle into Fan district. When they contacted us, we immediately notified the sector 7 commander who sent his men but because they were few, they were only able to engage one group and recovered 27 while the others were moved into Fan.”
Operation Safe Haven Media and Information Officer, Major Adam Umar, confirmed the incident, but said men of the taskforce had recovered and handed over 27 to MACBAN leadership in the area.
He said although a group of the criminals had engaged security men, they had been forced to abandon 27 of the cattle and flee due to superior fire power of the taskforce.
“We are working with other security agencies as well as community and youth leaders to to track down the remaining cattle,” he said.