It started as just another dusty evening at Ajase-Ipo market. It ended with five cows blowing the whistle on a cattle rustler and sending traders into a frenzy.
On Jan 11, 2026, the market in Ifelodun LGA was winding down when chaos broke out. A man had quietly tied up five cows among the livestock for sale, hoping to offload them without a fuss. What he didn’t count on was the animals recognising their real owners from across the crowd.
The cows went wild the moment they saw the herders. Ropes stretched taut, heads tossed, low moos turned into urgent bellows as the animals lunged towards the men they knew. Bargaining stopped mid-sentence. Traders dropped prices, buyers froze, and everyone turned to watch the scene unfold.
“What made it striking was that the herders hadn’t even claimed the cows yet,” said trader Danjuma Bature. “But the animals recognised them first. Cattle don’t forget the people who feed them and walk with them daily. They know voices, faces, routines.”
The herders stepped forward, pointing to horn shapes, body marks, and scars they said matched the cows stolen from them days earlier. All eyes swung to the seller: 30-year-old Mohammed Jabi of Buju village, Niger State, living in Patigi, Kwara.
When pressed, Jabi couldn’t give a straight story on how he got the animals. Market officials called in the Special Task Force set up by IGP Olatunji Disu.
Investigators say Jabi was allegedly working for a bandit commander known as Bachujo, part of a network operating across Kwara, Niger and Kogi forests. With security operations tightening in the bush, the gang allegedly sent the cows to market to trade for food and supplies.
Jabi is now in detention. The cows were returned to their owners, and security operatives say they’re chasing other members of the network.
For the traders who watched it happen, the takeaway was simple: you can fool people, but you can’t fool a cow that remembers who feeds it.
[Source: Adapted from Saturday Vanguard ]
Stay ahead with the latest updates! Join The ConclaveNG on WhatsApp and Telegram for real-time news alerts, breaking stories, and exclusive content delivered straight to your phone. Don’t miss a headline — subscribe now!
