Vice President Namadi Sambo is said to still be in shock over an unspecified number of cows numbering 1000 to 2000 and valued at about N200 million stolen in a brazen robbery at his farm along Birnin Gwari road, Kaduna State.
The robbery which is said to have occured about two weeks ago, saw armed men dressed in military garb storm the farm and load the imported specie of cow into trailers and disappear.
A close associate of the Vice President told newsmen, “the monetary value of those special cows far exceed N200 million”, adding that “the incident and subsequent development look more like a deliberate attempt to strangle the VP economically because he has been a successful businessman in and out of politics.”
The source said the Government was downplaying the incident due to the potentially embarrassing PR, the criminal act could have on the Presidency.
He said, “the issue, though not in the public domain because of the quiet nature of the vice president, it is generating strong suspicion and mistrust not only in the presidency but between Northern elite and the government because of some other persons that were targeted in what we regard as a calculated decimation of the economic power of northern leaders.”
A Presidential aide is said to have downplayed the incident saying only 1000 cows and not 2000 were stolen.
Incidentally several similar attacks have occured in the recent past, Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris was also dispossessed of 250 cows said to be worth millions by the criminal networkwho invaded the first class royal father’s commercial farm along Soba road in Zaria.
An aide to the Emir said, “this pattern of attack leaves us with a conclusion that there is more to it than meets the eye. A situation where trailers escorted by armed men in military uniforms are driven into well secured premises and hundreds of expensive cows are driven away without any security agent accosting them on the road or any trace of where such are taken to points to a dangerous dimension which does not augur well for our economic well-being and the unity of the nation.”
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