125 cattle stolen, Brigade commander suspected

The case of theft of 125 cattle is at the centre of a dispute between the Commander of brigade of Mbang-Rey near Tcholliré and a livestock farmer of the village of Ngaoui.

On February 2, 2014, 125 cattle belonging to Alhadji Arouna Ousmanou, breeder in the village of Ngaoui was stolen. After investigations, he identified a group of men he suspected to have stolen his cattle.

The men included Hassana, Sarki Sanou, Yerima Moussa Ousmanou, Bouba Labi, Djibo Boucher, Alhadji Ibrahim and Ardo Hamadou, against whom he filed a complaint on July 19, 2014 at Tcholliré. Summoned by the Commander of the gendarmerie brigade at Mbang-Rey, adjudant-chef Wakili, one of the accused, Vikram Moussa Ousmanou promised to fully confess the crime.

Out of the 125 cows claimed by the complainant, 81 were found at the home of Yérima Moussa Ousmanou at Ngaoui and brought to the brigade at Mbang Rey to be returned to Arouna Ousmanou. "The Commander demanded from him all documents proving that these cow were not stolen, i.e. the declaration signed by the Chief of Ngaoui zootechnical centre and the vaccination book of all the cows, suddenly said that he was a thief and that he wanted to outsmart Yérima Moussa.

“I was tortured and thrown in a cell where I stayed for 4 days. I was then referred to the prison in Tcholliré with the complicity of the Attorney of the Republic where I spent 4 days before being released without having any official reason.

I was set free only through the intervention of Tcholliré company commander who had to draw the attention of the Prosecutor on the abuses by Mbang Rey brigade commander” he stated.

He continued by stating that this conspiracy is simply to confiscate my cattle, because to date, Chief Warrant Officer still has my cows.

Reached by telephone, the Commander of brigade of Mbang Rey, adjudant-chef Wakili, said Chief warrant officer acted in accordance with the law.

He said after hearing the three witnesses of Ngaoui he incriminated Arouna Ousmanou. But for the latter, he believes that the Commander partnered with Yérima Moussa Ousmanou accomplices named in the complaint to confiscate his cows.