12 cattle rustlers have been killed by troops of the Nigerian Army, as part of Operation Sharan Daji, which was mounted against cattle rustling, kidnapping  armed robbery and other criminal activities in the North-West of Nigeria, the Punch reports.


1,031 cattle, 331 sheep, arms and ammunition were recovered from the criminals, according to an email sent on Saturday by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman.

He also said the soldiers destroyed 13 camps belonging to the cattle rustlers in the ongoing operations in Kaduna, Kano, Zamfara and Katsina states.

Usman  said, “Troops of Operation Sharan Daji engaged in the fight against cattle rustling, armed banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities in various states of the north-western part of the country, have recorded yet major successes against rustlers, killing several of them, destroying their camps and recovering many livestock, arms and ammunition.”

Usman said the troops killed four of the rustlers, arrested three, injured 16 and destroyed seven camps belonging to them in the operation in Zamfara. He added that the troops also recovered 486 livestock, two machetes, three AK-47 rifles and four AK 47 rifle magazines from the rustlers in the operation.

In Katsina, he said the troops killed five rustlers, arrested two of them and destroyed five camps in addition to recovering an AK-47 rifle, four locally manufactured guns, 12 machetes and  116 livestock from the rustlers.

He also said the troops killed two rustlers, arrested seven of them and destroyed six of the camps belonging to them in Kaduna.

Items said to have been recovered from them in the Kaduna operation included “305 livestock, two locally made pistols, three bows and arrows and four machetes.”