Cattle rustling in Nigeria is endemic and nasty enough to qualify as low-intensity warfare.
This from BBC on May 6:
A gang of what are said to be former cattle rustlers has killed at least 51 adults and children in a village in northern Nigeria, burning down homes.
Amongst the rows of dead bodies in Gwaska, in the Birnin Gwari area of Kaduna state, were children under the age of 10. Some bodies were mutilated.
Survivors say the attackers surrounded Gwaska on Saturday afternoon.
They set homes alight and fired shots, causing people to flee in panic – many straight towards the gunmen.
Residents have demanded that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government urgently deploy more police and military to protect vulnerable villages on the state border with Zamfara.
Last month 14 miners were reportedly killed in an attack by gunmen in the Birnin Gwari area.
Gwaska residents say Saturday’s attackers used to be cattle thieves but had turned to banditry in the region’s remote villages.
The victims include members of a self-defense force, formed after attacks by well-armed cattle thieves.
A couple of years ago, Katsina State in Nigeria offered an amnesty to rustlers who laid down their arms. Didn’t work.
Matthew says
Cattle rustling is pretty universal, though the number of dead seems horrific in this incident.
deuce says
“Katsina State in Nigeria offered an amnesty to rustlers who laid down their arms. Didn’t work.”
Imagine that.
Ugly Hombre says
I like the traditional old American treatment for rustlers.
A horse, a tree, a rope- a slap on the tail end of the horse.
After a fair trial of course.