(Minna)
The Governor of Niger state, Alhaji Abubarkar Sani Bello, has directed the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries to intensify efforts in improving the quality of animal husbandry.
According to him, such effort constitutes an integral part of the administration’s agricultural transformation agenda for improved food production.
Bello gave the directive when he visited the State’s Livestock Improvement and Breeding Centre located along Tagwai Dam road, Minna.
The governor acknowledged the state’s progress in developing special species of cattle for improved beef production.
Bello, who noted that the process of developing unique species of Cattle at the centre were avoidably slowing down, promised to meet with the Ministry officials with a view to fast-tracking developmental processes in that regard.
The whole idea of the animal husbandry Centre, Governor Bello said, was to move from the present generation of cattle to a better one for a better quality of milk and beef production.
According to him, that can serve not only Niger state but other states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Duaglobalnews gathered that four veterinary doctors were sponsored for training in artificial insemination in
partnership agreement with a South African firm on Bonsmara (disease-resistant cattle) semen supply.
By such effort,it is expected that by now something tangible would have been achieved.
“The previous administration imported many of the Bonsmara breed from South Africa with the hope that by now, we should have been doing artificial insemination so that over time, we will be able to improve on our local breed, especially the bokolo breed,”he said.
Bello noted that with crossbreeding mechanism between the Bonsmara and the local bokolo, perfectly as envisaged by the state government under the agreement worked out in the state, it was time for the efforts to have been redoubled.
The governor described the programme ad wonderful but observed, “unfortunately, I have to find out why we have not made much progress after the state government invested huge sums to sponsor the veterinary Doctors for improved food production”.
With the Bobi Grazing Reserve coming on board, the Governor said the time had come for the state government to assist the herdsmen, through artificial insemination,to get the rare cattle that would produce high quantity of milk of about 10 litres per day instead of the two litres daily and cattle of 500kg to 600kg.
Pics attached.
Police arrest 11 suspects for armed robbery, kidnapping
The Police in Niger state said it has arrested eleven suspects over alleged involvement in various forms of criminal activities ranging from; armed robbery cattle rustling and kidnapping for ransom in the past two weeks.
Parading the suspects before newsmen at the State Command headquarters, Dutsen Kura-Gwari, Minna the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) ASP Wasiu Abiodun said they were arrested from different locations across Niger state.
The PPRO told journalists at State Command headquarter in Minna that police patrol team also intercepted and recovered thirty six cattle, including four sheep and rescue three victims from bandits within the period under review.
A team of policemen from Tafa division while on patrol on Daupe Daidai road intercepted and arrested one Nasiru Abdullahi of Gwagwa Abuja with locally made revolver riffle wrapped with sack, Wasiu Abiodun said.
The PPRO also gave other suspects arrested for armed robbery within Suleja, the commercial hub centre included; Chinonso Ofor, Chukwu Gabriel, Patrick Nnaji and Franklin Madu and also recovered one locally pistol.
The five-man gang, according to him allegedly snatched the sum of, five point five million Naira (N5.5 million) from one Samuel Abiodun, who was on his way to deposit the money in one of the commercial Banks in Suleja.
Abiodun however reaffirmed the determination of the police to rid the state of all forms of criminalities and therefore called on Nigerlites to provide useful information to security agents on suspected criminals lurking around their vicinity.
