By Abubakar Ahmed
Gusau – The Zamfara chapter of the Animals Transporters Association has called on the State Government to close markets in the state where rustled animals are sold.
The call was made in a proposal by the Chairman of the association, Alhaji Garba Gusau, at a meeting with animal dealers, sellers and transporters on Friday in Gusau.
The chairman identified the markets that had become notorious for the act to include those at Mada, Danjibga, Dogon Kade, Dansadau, Yartasha, Dangulbi, Dauran, Zema and all the animal markets in Birnin Magaji Local Government Area.
Gusau also urged the state government to monitor animal markets that were already existing in Gusau, Shinkafi, Nasarawa Godel, Mafara, Gummi and Kasuwar Daji as a way of curtailing the menace.
He also asked the government to partner with the association in giving brand numbers to the transporters to ensure that the animals they carried were not stolen.
He said that no animal should be loaded on or off any vehicle between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. because most of the animal thieves were operating at night.
The chairman, then, urged the security operatives in the area to be vigilant and question movement of animals by road at night.
Earlier, the State Commissioner of Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Bello Dankande, issued the state government’s order at the meeting, that henceforth government-assigned photographers would be taking pictures of animals and their owners before they were allowed to do any commercial transactions.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new measures by the state government and animal dealers, sellers and transporters are aimed at checking the activities of animal rustlers in the state.
(NAN)