The Borno Police Command on Thursday said that it had taken custody of 536 livestock suspected to have been stolen by the Boko Haram insurgents.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Damian Chukwu, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Maiduguri.

Chukwu explained that the animals which comprised 370 cows and 157 goats and sheep were recovered by the military in its various operations in the state.

“The military has been doing a great job in the fight against Boko Haram and in the process many suspects have been arrested.

“On April 7, 379 cows, 157 goats and sheep were handed over to the command by the headquarters of the 8 Taskforce Division, Munguno.

‘‘The livestock were recovered in the course of operations by the taskforce.

“While some were abandoned by fleeing terrorists, others were intercepted from the elements during operations,” he said.

He said that the police had been making frantic efforts to trace the real owners.

‘‘Our duty is to return the livestock to the original owners, so we are appealing to individuals who lost their livestock to come forward to identity and claim them.

“We have displayed them at the Federal SARS office near the Maiduguri Airport road for people to see,” the commissioner said.

He urged individuals who lost their livestock to hasten up and claim them.

“People should go, identity and claim them on time because there is a limit to which we can keep them.

“They have already spent two weeks in our custody, we have been feeding and treating the sick among them; there is a limit to which we can continue to keep them,” Chukwu said.

He said that the livestock would be auctioned to the people after a certain period without anybody claiming them.

“We will be forced to seek court order to dispose them after a certain period.

“They will be disposed through a public auction if nobody shows up to claim them,” he said.

Vanguardngr