Police arrest three over rustled cattle recovered in Lagos, Oyo
The Niger State Police Command announced yesterday that it has tracked down and arrested three persons suspected of receiving and selling cattle rustled from Ibeto community in Mariga Local Government Area of the state.
The livestock were reportedly stolen from the area and transported across state boundaries before being intercepted by investigators.
According to the Command, a formal complaint was lodged on November 13, 2025, prompting detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Minna, to launch a full-scale probe.
Their efforts resulted in the recovery of several stolen cows in both Lagos and Oyo states.
The suspects in custody were identified as 25-year-old Naziru Mustapha of Ogbomoso, Oyo State; 30-year-old Husseini Abubakar of Mariga, currently residing in Ogbomoso; and Kabiru Magaji, 40, also from Mariga but based in Ogbomoso.
Police said the trio played key roles in the illegal cattle transactions.
“Naziru and Husseini are suspected receivers of the rustled cattle. Eight cows were recovered from their possession and subsequently identified by the rightful owners,” the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, stated.
He disclosed that two additional suspects, Bashar Sani and Ibrahim Tasiu, both from Mariga but living in the Ogbomoso axis of Oyo State are currently on the run.
The Police said efforts are underway to apprehend the fleeing suspects, trace other likely receivers, and recover more of the stolen livestock as investigations continue.
